Dark Angel: Recollection
by elle6778
Summary: COMPLETE. Sequel to Remember. Just as Max's relationship with Alec started to develop into something more, someone else turned up and attempted to create a distance between them. How would Max and Alec react?
1. Chapter 1

Title: Recollection (I am terrible at titles!)  
Pairing: M/A (At least, I hope it goes that way!)  
Summary: Sequel to Remember. Just as Max's relationship with Alec started to develop into something more, someone else turned up and attempted to create a distance between them. How would Max and Alec react?  
Spoilers: Berrisford Agenda

A/N: This story could stand alone by itself but of course it is better if you read Remember first to understand how their relationship grew. To make things easier for those who decide to forgo Remember, I have written a _very_ short recap of Remember below.

A short recap of Remember: An old acquaintance of Alec's from Manticore turned up, wreaking havoc with Max and Alec's lives. They finally managed to sort everything out, resulting in the separation of Max and Logan, and a growing friendship between Max and Alec.

* * *

**Recollection - Chapter 1**

(by elle6778)

The rustle of trees seemed loud amidst the relative silence in the forest. The young man, with his enhanced hearing, felt as if he could hear the scratching sound each individual tree made as it swayed in the gentle breeze. His footsteps seemed unnaturally loud to him as well.

His stomach was growling. He could not remember how many days had gone past without him having a meal, but it was long enough to weaken him. He paced his steps and regulated his breathing, knowing that he needed to conserve his energy for him to make his way out of the forest in one piece. He had no idea where exactly he was; he was just relying on his instincts. His instinct never failed him before, and he hoped that it would not start now.

He paused for a moment to listen, trying to discern if there were signs of any other human being in the vicinity. His ears told him that he was the only one there. He stared straight ahead, noting the muted rays of sunlight filtering at an angle through the gaps between the trees which told him that he was heading east. He forced himself not to look back from where he came from.

He knew he couldn't.

Because he knew that if he did, he might not be able to make himself walk back out.

* * *

The streets of Seattle were already abuzz with activity when the two transgenics emerged from the front door of the apartment block. They walked briskly; passing a group of men huddled over small fire in a metal barrel. Intent on warming themselves up in the chilly morning, they paid the two transgenics no attention. 

They slowed down slightly as they approached a food stall; the aroma from the fried food tantalising their appetites. Wordlessly, they exchanged a look.

A few seconds passed before one of them spoke.

"So, are you buying or not?" Max asked expectantly, placing one hand on her hips.

A tired looking Alec groaned, "I got us breakfast yesterday. It's your turn now," he complained. He could not believe Max was trying to make him buy breakfast again.

Max scowled, "It's all your fault anyway. If you didn't make me stay up all night last night, I would have gotten up in time to make breakfast,"

"Erm…Max? No offence, but you making breakfast? I think I'll pass," he said, shuddering a little when he remembered the last time she made them _breakfast._ To say that it was inedible was to put it kindly. At that time, Alec thought he was being poisoned in the most horrible manner. He continued, "Anyway, you don't need sleep with all that shark DNA. I, on the other hand, need my beauty sleep. Which I am now sorely deprived of," he said mournfully.

Max made a face, "I did not make you stay up all night, so don't blame me. You were the one who came over to hide away from your adoring fans. And since you won't eat what I make, then you should buy breakfast," she reasoned, making it sound as if it was a perfectly fair exchange.

Relenting grudgingly, he walked up to the food stall and told the bored looking seller that he wanted two hot dogs. "With lots of onions," he added a little vindictively.

Then he turned back to give Max a defensive look. "I wasn't running away," Alec protested, offended at her words, "I tried to tell them I am not interested, but they were persistent. I can't help how attractive I am, can I?"

Max rolled her eyes, "Yeah, of course they continue to be persistent. I've heard how you try to tell them you are 'not interested'. You always make it sound like you are so disappointed, so why am I not surprised that they come running back after a couple of days?"

Alec rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "I don't know. I can't bring myself to be so…you know…harsh," He took out a few notes from his pocked and handed them to the seller, accepting two hot-dogs in exchange. He handed one to Max.

Max's eyes went heavenwards as she said in exasperation, "Then you are not trying hard enough," She paused, thinking for a moment before she continued, "I've got an idea!" she exclaimed; her eyes bright with excitement.

"What?" Alec asked her with some apprehension. That look Max got on her face normally meant that it was something which would not bode well for his well-being. But he decided to listen anyway.

She grinned, "Just think of them as Celia. That should work!" she said triumphantly, biting into her food.

Alec's eyes grew large as his face twisted in revulsion, "Ugh! I am trying to eat here. And don't bring that name up again. Please," he pleaded, holding one hand up as if to ward off the thought of Celia.

Max's grin turned into a laugh when Alec gave her an offended look. She knew that he hated being reminded of what Celia did to him. She did not blame him; Celia was seriously insane.

"Anyway, you won't be laughing after I tell you what Suki asked me last night,"

It was Max's turn to sound apprehensive now. "What?" she asked.

"She got really pissed off when I told her it was over. Then she asked if it was because of you," Alec explained with a wry grin, watching with glee as her eyes widen at his words.

"Come again! Me? What has it got to do with me!" she practically shrieked.

"You can be quite dense sometimes, Max. We spend so much time together nowadays and you think no one noticed? Suki wasn't the only one to bring it up," he pointed out.

"You are joking right?" she asked haltingly. It never really occurred to her to think of how much time they spend together ever since the incident with Celia. Now that she thought about it, she supposed it was true. Nowadays they tended to spend more time talking to each other and going places together.

Alec gave her a droll look, "Do I look like I am joking?"

"Ah well, now that you mentioned it, I can see why they came to that conclusion. I mean, we have been spending a lot of time together," she admitted thoughtfully.

"Much as I enjoyed all our time together, I am also sad that we do not indulge in more pleasurable physical activities," Alec remarked in an exaggeratedly sad voice.

A smack landed on his shoulders, "Dream on, pretty boy. Who knows where you have been? I might catch something," Max jokingly threw his own words back at him, grinning as she thought of the time he stepped into her cell. And how different he was now compared to that soldier.

"Hey, that's my line! And if I recall correctly, you did tell me that you wouldn't mind sleeping with me," he reminded her. He knew that he was stretching her words a bit, but who cares!

"I did not!" Max protested loudly. Too loudly, she realised, noticing the curious look given to her by the other people on the street. Turning back to him, she hissed,"I did not! And you know it,"

Ignoring her, Alec continued, "Well, we might as well give them something to say, right?"

Max glared at him threateningly, "No, Alec," she said firmly.

"Just a suggestion,"

"No," she said with a tone of finality.

* * *

An hour later, Alec practically dragged her out of Jampony as she tried unsuccessfully to contain her laughter. It was really priceless, the look on his face when Suki and Marina, having decided to stop fighting with each other over him, came stomping right up to him to demand an explanation for his behaviour. 

Alec had just stood there as both Suki and Marina vented their anger on him. They demanded to know why he was seeing both of them at the same time. Alec tried to explain that they were both important to him, but he was not ready for any commitment.

Max grinned as she recalled the subsequent scene.

Suki had asked him if that was the reason he did not ever touch either of them. At which, Alec blanched and stuttered something incoherent. Sketchy and some of the other guys had thrown Alec accusing looks, which Alec ignored. Max realised that Alec must have, in a true male fashion, bragged about his _success_ in bed with the two girls to them. She had such a hard time keeping her face straight when Original Cindy went on to tell him off on his behaviour. And Original Cindy did not mince her words at all.

A small part of her was glad that the showdown happened. After all the gossips she had heard, she naturally thought that Alec was actually sleeping with those girls, a fact which strangely made her feel slightly ill. She did not want to dwell on the reasons for her reaction.

Max grinned as she mounted her bicycle, completely missing the dark look Alec shot at her. They did not speak; they were both lost in their thoughts. Max continued to think about entertaining the incident in Jampony.

Alec's thoughts were much more depressing as he tried to think of how he could salvage his reputation. Not that he really wanted to sleep with those girls. He realised how odd it was that he had not had the urge to play the role of a tomcat anymore.

As an amusing thought crossed her mind, Max broke out in laughter again.

"Get a grip, will you?" Alec told her irritably as her laughter caused her bike to veer precariously towards his. "It's not that funny,"

Max managed to keep her face straight as she said, "No…I guess not for you. Reputation ruined and all. What possessed you to tell all those lies to the guys?"

Alec sighed in exasperation, "You won't understand. It's a guy thing. I can't just go around sleeping with all the girls who throw themselves at me, could I? It is kind of lame to tell them that I dated these girls but it all ended with at the most, a kiss at their front door. And I didn't really lie. They just drew their own conclusions," he explained, unsure why he had to justify himself to Max.

Max went quiet as she considered what he just said. It made sense to her. Alec may be a flirt, but he never meant to hurt anyone. So it made sense that he would do what he did and not take advantage of the girls' affection for him. Max smiled at the thought.

They rode up to the gate of a large house.

"I mean, it's not like I am that desperate for sex anyway. And- Oh my god!" he exclaimed as an overzealous turn threw him off his bike. He got up quickly, glaring accusingly at his bike.

Max rolled her eyes as she gave him a resigned look, "What happened to your feline reflexes?"

"My mind was occupied with more important matters," Alec replied tonelessly.

"Okay, okay…Shut up and ring the buzzer already," Max said impatiently, holding the package they came to deliver in her hands.

"Hmm? Yeah," Alec said distractedly as he reached out to the buzzer which looked strangely familiar. He knew he had seen this before, but he wondered where.

He knew it was nothing good when a feeling of dread started creeping up on him.

* * *

**t.b.c.**

A/N: Okay, folks! Short, I know, but what do you think? Can it work as the sequel to Remember? Do you like it? Hate it? Write me a review and tell me so that I know if I should continue or to stop right here!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I wish I own Dark Angel, but unfortunately I don't. Otherwise it would never ever be cancelled! Dark Angel and its characters do not belong to me. No infringement intended.

A/N: Thanks to all of you who read and reviewed the first chapter. And thanks to HoneyX5-452 who informed me that we can still reply to reviews (the author who got punished was a special case, it seemed). Anyway, here are the review shouts…

**Mel11 **– Thanks for being the 1st reviewer of Recollection! Glad you liked it and you know I will update within the week :winks:

**Calistra** – Thanks for reviewing Remember and this. Hope you like the subsequent chapters.

**Shadowhisper** – :grins: Glad you liked it! Thanks for your review.

**Kungfuchick** – Hehe! Oh, come on…it's not that long a wait, was it? I'm trying to keep the same style of writing here as with Remember, and it was a bit difficult after Deception, LOL! Thanks for reviewing.

**Lex2u **– Thanks for reviewing. And I am glad you liked the humour; humour is not my strong point :smiles sheepishly:

**Angelofdarkness78** – Cyber anvil! Isn't that a bit drastic? I somehow think I need my head to be able to continue writing anyway, LOL! Glad you liked the beginning and that those two are close. Makes a change from Retrieved :grins: Thanks for reviewing.

**X5898** – Hey, there! Thanks for reviewing Remember. Glad you liked it; I was really sad when it ended, because it was a really nice one to write. So it's nice to get reviews for it again! As for this sequel:sighs: I forgot how hard it is to start a story! I'm trying to keep things as close as possibly to the actual story without losing my own plot, and I hope it will work. :Blush: Happy that you said you like my writing!

**Darkangelgirl** – Thanks for your review! And yes, it is partly about Alec's past, but that's not the sole focus. Well, at least I don't think so! Berrisford Agenda will be touched on throughout the story, though:winks:

**Alana84** – Thanks for reviewing! Yep, Alec and Max still are friends, but close friends. I am aiming for M/A ending in this story, since it didn't happen in Remember, LOL! But we'll see!

**Lotamoxie** – Jensen's performance in Berrisford Agenda was fantastic! So moving! Not too keen on Rachel myself, but oh well… Hope you'll like the subsequent chapters. Thanks for reviewing!

**Sarah** – Thank you so much for reviewing Play-Along, Remember and this story! You are right about Remember. I was trying to align it as close as possible to the actual show. And I'm trying for the same in Recollection, but we'll see how it goes:grins: Max's brother? You'll have to read on and see…Hehe! And you know I love to leave stories at carefully selected points, LOL!

On with the story…

* * *

**Recollection - Chapter 2**

(by elle6778)

He knew it was nothing good when a feeling of dread started creeping up on him.

As if a floodgate suddenly opened, his memories started pouring back. He wanted to stop the onslaught but he found himself unable to do so. Flashes of familiar, yet oddly removed scenes bombarded his mind.

He saw himself standing in front of the very same gate ringing the buzzer, wearing a suit and glasses. He saw himself talking to Sandoval. He remembered the sound of Sandoval's voice as he asked Alec, X5-494 at that time, if he had been briefed on his mission. He saw himself strangling a man. He saw himself standing in front of a pretty, smiling girl. And he remembered himself being tortured in Manticore.

Max's voice snapped him out of his flashbacks.

"Hey! HEY!" she yelled, snapping her fingers in front of his eyes.

Startled, he turned to her, "What?"

"The buzzer? That little button right there below the sign that says 'Please ring buzzer for entry'?" Max said impatiently, but there was a look of concern in her eyes as she studied Alec's slightly pale face. If she did not know better, she would have thought that he was in shock. _But shock at what_, she wondered.

Alec gulps and rang the buzzer.

He barely waited two seconds before saying, "No one's home," He turned to leave.

Max grabbed his arm, "Hey, give them a chance! From the looks of the place, it probably takes them ten minutes just to get from the kitchen to the front door,"

Alec shuffled nervously as he eyed the security camera which was scanning the area where they were standing. He decided that they had waited long enough.

"Okay, no one's home," He snatched the package from Max's hands and threw them over the gate before Max could protest. "Let's go," he said stiffly.

"But we didn't get a signature," Max complained with a frown, wondering why Alec was acting so strange.

Alec gave her a piercing look, "I said, let's go!" he insisted in hard tone which did not welcome any arguments.

Max gaped, staring at him in disbelieve at the tone he used. He had never spoken to her that way before.

"Okay," she said quietly, mounting her bike. She wondered what was up with Alec. Something obviously unnerved him. She made a mental note to ask him about it later when he has calmed down a little.

* * *

When they arrived back at Jampony, Alec was still wrapped up in his thoughts. He had barely uttered a word the entire return journey back. He just gave Max monosyllabic answers when she tried to engage him in conversation. Max was beginning to worry; she did not know this side of Alec. 

Leaving Alec to park their bikes, Max headed towards Normal to give him her clipboard, hoping that Normal would not notice the missing signature.

No such luck.

"Are my eyes deceiving me or is this signature strip blank?" Normal asked, peering at Max over his spectacles. He tapped his pen against the clipboard impatiently, waiting for her excuse.

"Why don't you ask your Golden Boy about it?" she replied with another question, leaning against the counter lazily, a bored look on her face.

"Because you're here and he's not," Normal ground out, his brow furrowed.

"Yes, he is! He is just right there…" Max paused when she around to find Alec gone. _Coward, _she thought irritably. She turned back to Normal to see him eyeing her; his irritation clearly written over his face.

Raising an expectant eyebrow, Normal asked, "Well?"

Annoyed at Alec for leaving her to deal with this alone, Max snatched the clipboard back from Normal, "I'll get it tomorrow," she said, walking away from the dispatch desk. She wondered where Alec ran off to.

She was about to walk out when the news flash on the television caught her eyes.

"…_a witness had said that the man literally streaked out of the shop with superhuman speed, carrying bags full of food which he stole," a reporter said, "When asked if he could recognise the man again, the witness said that he saw a barcode tattoo at the back of his neck…"_

Max tensed.

_Barcode tattoo. It must be a transgenic. A careless one by the looks of it,_ she thought. Max knew that she needed to go find him before he was exposed. She studied the background behind the reporter and recognised the location as the far end of South Market.

"…_The police are currently running a search to hunt down this man…"_ the reporter continued.

_Where's Alec?_ She would never admit it to Alec, but she needed him more and more nowadays. It was as if since that night she broke up with Logan, she became more and more unwilling to deal with things just by herself. She knew that she was more than capable of handling things by herself, but she preferred to have Alec somewhere within shouting distance.

Spotting Sketchy, she called out, "Hey, Sketch! You seen Alec?"

Sketchy paused on his way out and turned towards her, shaking his head, "No. Not since this morning,"

"Okay," Max acknowledge, but a look of annoyance crossed her face.

"You coming to Crash tonight?" Sketchy asked, slinging his bag over his shoulders.

"Maybe. Right now I've gotta blaze. Later," she said. Without waiting for Sketchy's reply, she rushed out of the door.

* * *

Alec sat on the Space Needle, looking down at the Seattle skyline as he wallowed in his thoughts. The sky was growing darker by the minute and it had started to drizzle a few minutes ago but he did not notice the splash of the raindrops against his skin. He was trying to come to terms with what he recalled when he and Max were standing outside that gate. 

He realised that his flashbacks must be of the failed mission Celia was going on about. His memory was coming back to him in bits now, each piece forming a part of a puzzle, until he finally remembered what he did. And he was not too happy about his recollection.

He remembered meeting Rachel and her father. Her father, who he was supposed to assassinate if there was any incriminating evidence against him concerning Manticore. A few taps on her father's computer had confirmed the worst; Mr Berrisford was working against Manticore.

He remembered how innocently pretty Rachel looked to him. Rachel had smiled at him, her eyes full of trust and later, something else he initially did not comprehend. He realised too late that it was love. She was looking at him with love in her eyes.

And he betrayed that love, and her trust.

He told her that she was his job.

But he lied.

She was more than his job.

She was his first love.

He did not know why he did not try harder to stop what happened. Was it because of Manticore's training? Or was it just because he was too cowardly to stand up for what he believed was right? Even when he realised that he felt something for her, something still prevented him from fully turning against Manticore. He let Manticore drag him back to be _reindoctrinated._

Suddenly, the image of Max appeared in his mind. She was looking up at him with fear in her eyes as he lowered the blade towards her heart. This time it wasn't Manticore's doing. It was White. He was about to kill many of his own kind to save his own life. But at the last second, he could not make himself do it. He could not kill the young X6s who called him 'Sir'. And he could not kill Max.

_What kind of person was he?_

_What kind of person even considers killing an innocent girl?_

_What kind of person even considers killing one of his own kind?_

Breathing heavily, Alec slammed his fist against the roof where he was sitting, his face twisted in agony and self-hatred.

* * *

Max pedalled as fast as she could to South Market. All around her, the people and other vehicles swept past her in a blur as she pushed herself to go faster but still taking care to maintain her speed to what was considered humanly possible. Max wished she could just ignore what was considered normal and go full speed. She hoped that the transgenics was alright and that she was not too late. 

When she reached her destination, she got off her bike and started walking into the market. In seconds, she found herself surrounded by all sorts of people rushing about doing their businesses.

"Great," she muttered under her breath.

She wondered how she could ever manage to find him here in the midst all these people. Not to mention she has no clue about his appearance. She decided that there's only one way to spot the transgenic. From the news report, he was definitely not an anomaly, so he must be X-series. Max started scanning the crowds for any good-looking males in their late teens or early twenties. Max frowned as she wondered if he was even younger than that, maybe X6 or X7.

She was about to give up when a dark haired guy caught her eyes. She could not see his face or his neck, but the way he moved reminded her of the natural feline grace particular to all X5s. Max could see that he was trying to avoid attracting any attention. Apparently without much success, Max noted, seeing the assessing looks he was given by the few women who came within a few feet from him. Must be what Manticore put in all the males, she thought, recalling the attention Alec always got from the opposite sex.

Casually, Max sauntered in his direction. When she passed behind him, she flicked her eyes up. Just above his collar, she could see a series of black lines peeping out.

_Jackpot!_

She smiled inwardly; glad that she found who she was looking for. Smiling, she tapped his shoulders, making him jump.

He stiffened at her touch, and then began to turn around slowly. _At least he didn't decide to make a run for it_, Max thought.

"Yes?" he asked, glancing around them to check for any threats.

Max's breath hitched involuntarily when their eyes met. For a moment, she could not speak. _The guy was gorgeous_, she thought as she took in his mesmerising jewel green eyes and chiselled features. _And his lips…_ Max frowned inwardly, disgusted at her train of thought. Then something occurred to her. She suppressed a groan; she hoped that this did not mean that she was close to her heat.

"Can I help?" the guy asked, smiling knowingly. It was as if he knew what effect his looks had on her.

Scolding herself for her wayward thoughts, Max forced herself to smile, "I was wondering if you could check something for me,"

Max turned her back to him. Pushing her hair to the side of her neck, she discreetly showed him her barcode and then let her hair fall back down to cover her neck.

"You are one of the '09-ers," he stated flatly. The wariness in his eyes increased.

Max gave a sigh of exasperation, "Look, no time for that now. We've got to get out of here before they find you,"

"What makes you think they are only looking for me, and not you?" he challenged, his eyes piercing into hers.

Max did not know why, but his gaze made her feel self-conscious. Uncomfortably tearing her eyes away, she snapped, "Because I am better at this than you are! Now cut the crap and follow me,"

He looked at her with indecision in his eyes. After a moment, he apparently decided that Max was no threat to him. Nodding, he replied, "Lead the way,"

"Glad you value your life more than Manticore's brainwashing," Max said in a flat tone, ignoring the smile he gave her. She would not let him distract her, however charming he might be.

Max steered him towards the spot where she left her bike, silent all the while. When they reached the spot, Max bent down and unlocked her bike from the rusty railing.

"This is yours?" he asked, surprised.

Max nodded, "Yeah, I work as a messenger,"

"Work, huh?" he said thoughtfully, and then continued, "You think they got any vacancies?"

Max snorted, "I guess it depends on Normal's mood," she replied. Then looking at him assessingly, she said with a grin, "Considering Normal and his gladiator dreams, I think you stand a _very _good chance,"

Not sure what to make of Max's comment about Normal, he said slowly, "Yeah…"

"You have a name?"

His brows furrowed, "A name? You can call me 466,"

Max rolled her eyes, "No, not a designation! A name. You know, like Jack, Tom, Nat and so on. Mine's Max,"

"Uh…I don't mind. Pick something,"

Max grinned as an evil look came across her eyes, "Sure?"

He nodded slowly, suddenly feeling as if he might be making the biggest mistake of his life.

"Okay, then,"

* * *

He walked slowly; his calm and collected movement in complete contrast with what went on in his mind. He was trying to make sense of what he was meant to do. And how he was supposed to carry it out. 

That man in the suit gave him a choice. He was given only one chance to save what was his. And he had decided that would do his best to achieve it no matter what it takes. He did not want to even think of the alternative.

When he was shown the pictures, he realised that he recognised one of the faces. He kept his surprise hidden, not wanting to attract more trouble. He did not, however, recognise the face in the other picture. He wondered what that man wanted from those two in the pictures.

He had not asked for an answer to his question. Since when was he ever interested in the motives behind each mission? His superiors never bothered to tell him anything except what's necessary. He had decided that he would treat this like just another mission.

One which he would complete efficiently and successfully like how he was taught.

* * *

Still brooding inwardly, Alec forced himself to step into Crash. He did not really feel like socialising today, especially after his recollection of the past, but he promised Sketchy that he would be there. When he was inside, he scanned the room, spotting Max, Original Cindy and Sketchy by their usual table. 

Max.

In the last few months, Alec had noticed the change in their relationship. He smiled as he remembered what Max said to him when they were sitting on top of the Space Needle that night she broke up with Logan. That was when things really started changing between them. They still bickered like mad, but now he felt that there was a flirtatious undertone to their words. He was almost positive that Max no longer viewed him as a _complete_ screw up.

He had enjoyed her company before because she represented part of something familiar to him, and that she seemed to always look out for him no matter what stupid scrapes he got himself into. He also enjoyed riling her up as frequently as he could; just to see her eyes flash in irritation. But now, he enjoyed her company more because he felt closer to her, and that they actually have so many things in common. He did not know how to define their relationship but it occurred to him that it must be more than just friendship.

He wished he could talk to Max about what he remembered, but he knew he couldn't. However close they were, he was not ready to tell her about Rachel. Some memories were better left buried. And that was what he intended to do. Rachel was no longer around, and he has to get on with his life.

He plastered an 'I-don't-have-a-care-in-the-world' smile on his face when he reached his friends.

"Hey, you guys missing me?" he asked, smile still intact.

Original Cindy rolled her eyes, "And hello to you too,"

Max snorted, "Yeah, Sketchy here is missing his pool partner,"

Alec clasped his hands to his chest, "And you, Maxie? You don't miss me? I am wounded,"

"As if!" she retorted, her eyes searching Alec's discreetly. Outwardly, he seemed to have gotten over whatever that was bothering him earlier. But Max knew better. After spending all this time practically stuck to each other, she has learnt how to read his movements and moods. Right now, Alec was _too_ chirpy. He was trying hard to hide something. Max sighed inwardly, making a mental note to ask him later what was going on when they're alone.

"So where's the beer?" Alec asked, his eyes studying the empty table-top, and then came back up to meet Max's.

Max replied, studying a lone empty glass on the table, "It'll be here in a second,"

Alec pulled up a chair and sat down opposite Max, "Huh? Who's buying?" he asked, wondering who else was there with them.

Before anyone could answer, a tray containing a pitcher and several glasses found its way to the table.

Alec's eyes wandered up to the face attached to the body of the person who had set down the tray.

His eyes widened in surprise when hesaw who it was.

**t.b.c.** (:grins: I know…I know…please forgive me, I just couldn't help myself!)

* * *

A/N: I was a bit apprehensive about continuing this story initially, but I've changed my mind after reading all your wonderful reviews, LOL! I would love it if you could continue by reviewing this chapter. Tell me if you like it or you think it is completely rubbish :grins: 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I wish I own Dark Angel, but unfortunately I don't. Otherwise it would never ever be cancelled! Dark Angel and its characters do not belong to me. No infringement intended.

A/N: Thank you for all your reviews! I loved reading all of them. You will find that this chapter is more comprehensible than the last two, all because of the wonderful beta by **Shallowness **(Thank you!)

**Calistra** – The mystery man will be revealed close to the end of the story, LOL! So there's quite a long wait for that! Thanks for reviewing.

**Gamegirl452 **– Tsk…tsk…What's the point of having cliffhangers when you can read the next chapter right away:grins: This way it's more fun, don't you think? lol! Thanks for reviewing!

**Mel11** – Thanks for reviewing. Yep, Alec knows the guy. You'll understand more after this chapter…and maybe get more confused as well :smiles sheepishly:

**Kungfuchick **– The new guy? You'll see soon! Well, I thought that since there are quite a good number of hits, I have to continue. And also, I was beginning to get excited about the plot :grins: Thanks for reviewing!

**Purple shimmer** – Me? Mean? How could you say that:grins: Update is here, so I hope you are not too displeased with me! Thanks for your review!

**Kim** – Thanks for reviewing! Max is definitely attracted to the gorgeous guy, whether or not she'll admit it is another matter. His name is coming up soon. :)

**Angelofdarkness78** – Hehe! It's amazing how sure you are that he's someone I made up, LOL! And he is hot! I modelled his looks after Gab in Retrieved, but supposed to be better looking. I mean, he has to be cute for Max to get flustered, LOL! Thanks for reviewing!

**NoAngell **– Thanks for your review. All your questions will be answered in this chapter :winks:. As for it turning into an Alec-feeling-sorry story, I can assure you that it will not. I'm using bits from Berrisford Agenda, but it will be moulded into a different story, hehe!

**Alana84** – All your questions will be answered soon, LOL! Yep, he's hot enough to catch Max's eye. So you can imagine just HOW hot, hehe! Thanks for reviewing!

**L80bug **– Thanks for reviewing! Hope you like this chapter!

**Vkitty **- :cringes and rubs ears: I think my eardrums are permanently damaged! Or my eyes! Okay, the howling dogs were a bit too much! Now we know who woke the dogs up, LOL! And me? Evil? Surely not! I thought that since I did it in Remember, it is only fitting that I do it here, considering that this IS the sequel! And hey, thanks for putting me on your faves and for reviewing this!

**Aur** – Max _always_ helps Alec with his problems, one way or another. And yes, I hope for some MA too, otherwise I fear that I might be flamed, LOL! I'll try my best to move them closer together. Thanks for reviewing.

**X5898** – Hehe! The name Max will give him is not that bad, I think! I'm interested in seeing your assessment of the guy after you've read this chapter. As for Max and Alec's conversation…:sighs: that was a hard one to write. Thanks for reviewing! Oh, btw, did you and your friend managed to find Devour?

**Lotamoxie** – Wasn't planning to leave you guys hanging too long :grins:. I update Retrieved and this one alternately. As for the mystery guess, I think that question only will be answered at the end of the story, hehe! Thanks for reviewing!

**Lex2u** – Thanks for your review. Glad you liked this chapter. The identity of the mysterious person will be revealed in the last few chapters only!

**Darkangelgirl **- :Sigh: I can't update any faster! The fastest I can do is every 4 days, because I have Retrieved to write as well! Your questions will be answered in this chapter, so read on :grins: Thanks for reviewing!

* * *

**Recollection - Chapter 3**

(by elle6778)

His eyes widened in surprise when he saw who it was. All his earlier thoughts of Rachel and his failed mission left his mind as he stared at the familiar face.

"What…How?" he gasped before breaking into a grin at seeing someone familiar, even someone from his days back at Manticore.

"Well, you sure do get around, don't you?" the other guy said, returning Alec's grin. He extended a hand towards Alec.

Alec grasped the hand in greeting, "Great to see you. So how…"

He did not get a chance to continue. Max, who was surprised that they knew each other, decided to interrupt before they said something that might reveal their identity to Sketchy, "You guys know each other?" she asked, giving Alec a warning look.

Obviously understanding her, Alec nodded, "He _hung around_ the school I used to go to," he said, throwing a very male look at the other transgenic.

Sketchy laughed, "You sure seem to have a lot of school friends suddenly appearing. First Celia, now him."

Max grimaced at the mention of Celia. She glanced at Alec to see him sporting the same expression. Obviously the last thing that Alec wanted to be reminded of was Celia.

"Celia?" the dark haired transgenic asked, turning a questioning look towards Alec.

"Uh, yeah. I told you it was a big school," Alec said, averting his gaze from Sketchy and shifting it to Moss. "A girl in the _psy_chology class."

Understanding Alec's meaning, he nodded, his face showing his distaste.

"So, _Alec,_ where have you been? I was looking for you earlier," Max asked pointedly, stressing his name so that they did not accidentally give away their true identity to Sketchy.

Alec shrugged, "Went home to catch a nap earlier. I was tired," he lied, not willing to talk about his time on the Space Needle. He changed the topic. "So, where did you find him?"

"I bumped into _Moss_ today at South Market," Max answered, stressing the name.

"Moss!" Alec let slip before he could stop himself. He gave Moss a pitying look.

"Yes. _Moss._ What's wrong with you, Alec?" Max remarked impatiently. Alec was going to give the game away if he was not careful.

Recovering from his horror at the name that Max had bestowed 466, Alec said, "Nothing," but he turned to Moss and whispered under his breath, "I can't believe you let her do that to you. She just named you after something that's clumpy and grows," he paused a while as something occurred to him, "I get it! It's because of your green eyes!"

Muttering softly, Moss replied with a scowl, "You actually think I wanted to be named after some slimy bryophytic plant? Anyway, I can't really say no to her."

Alec's eyes narrowed, "What do you mean?"

"Hey, no private conversations allowed here. What are you guys whispering about?" Original Cindy asked suspiciously, interrupting them.

"Ah, just catching up on good old times," Moss replied lightly. He shot Original Cindy and Max a charming smile.

Original Cindy blinked a few times and Max flushed, then quickly looked away, irritated that some stranger had managed to induce that effect on her, however good looking he might be.

Noticing Max's action, Alec frowned slightly as he looked between Max and Moss. He wondered what had happened between the two of them for Max to behave that way.

"Hey, what's with the silence?" Moss asked, confused at the myriad expressions which various member of their party sported. Max and Original Cindy looked slightly uncomfortable, Alec looked annoyed and Sketchy just looked just as confused as Moss felt.

"Just thinking," Alec said, standing up. "So, want to catch up over a game of pool?" he asked Moss, a challenging grin on his face. It would also be a good time for him to ask Moss what was up with him and Max.

"Sure, let's go," Moss agreed, cracking his knuckles as he returned Alec's grin with a similar one of his own.

"Hey, what about our game?" Sketchy whined, looking at Alec with an accusing look.

Original Cindy smacked Sketchy upside the head and said, "Fool, they haven't seen each other for some time, so why don't you just leave pretty boy to his business for a while?"

"Oh, okay," Sketchy said sheepishly, finally understanding. Then he stood up, "Well, I'll head to the bar to join the other guys then."

Max nodded absently as Sketchy left them. She played with the half-empty glass of beer in front of her, trying to make sense of Moss and her reaction to him.

"Hey, boo…" Original Cindy started, trying to get Max's attention.

Max looked up, "Hmm?"

"Let's not let it be said that Original Cindy is a bad judge of character. But there's something off about Moss. He gives Original Cindy the jitters when he smiles, and you know I bat for the home team," Original Cindy stated in her usual blunt manner. Max could see the confusion on her face, backing up her words.

Not too surprised, Max said, "Yeah? I think it's just because he's so good looking,"

Original Cindy gave her a disbelieving look. "No! You too?"

Max nodded and sighed. "This is really strange. I mean, I don't even know the guy,"

"Not to mention there's Alec," Original Cindy added slyly.

"What!" Max's eyes snapped up, "What's Alec got to do with this?"

Original Cindy shook her head, chuckling. "Even the blind could see that you've both got the hots for each other."

Max groaned, "Not you too…I can't believe you're listening to all that crap Suki and Marina said. Alec and I…we're not like that. We're just good friends."

Original Cindy raised a perfectly groomed brow. "That's what you used to say about Logan," she pointed out.

"Logan and I aren't like that either," Max said softly, wondering if there was any truth in what Original Cindy was saying about her and Alec.

Sighing in resignation, Original Cindy shook her head and said, "Boo, you really need help with that denial problem of yours."

* * *

At the other end of the room, Alec and Moss were engaged in an intense game of pool. Alec grinned, not that Sketchy wasn't fun to play against, but Alec needed some challenge once in a while.

Aiming at a ball in the far corner, Alec did not look up as he asked, "So, what have you been up to since home sweet home blew up?"

Moss shrugged carelessly. "Nothing much. Just moving here and there, trying to survive. Max found me when I was hiding in South Market."

His attention on the game, Alec did not notice the evasive look in Moss's eyes.

Watching in satisfaction as the ball rolled in a straight line into the pocket, winning him the game, Alec said, "Really?" Then he turned to look at Moss, wondering how to word what he had to say. Deciding finally that the direct approach was the best, Alec begun to speak, "Don't take this the wrong way, okay, buddy." He paused as Moss gave him a questioning look, "We both know about your reputation when we were back in Manticore…"

"Why do I get this feeling that I'm about to be told off?" Moss interrupted with a wry grin, but there was a wary expression in his eyes.

Alec continued, "Max's a good friend of mine. And I saw that weird look she had on her face earlier when she looked at you. So, I'm just wondering what's going on?" he asked with a casual expression.

Moss let out a bark of laughter, "Man, I just met her today! Even I can't work _that_ fast!"

"And?" Alec prompted, waiting for Moss to answer his question.

Moss stopped laughing and smirked instead, "I can't help it if she likes me, right?"

Alec stiffened almost imperceptibly. Any friendly feeling he had for Moss suddenly evaporated at the thought of Max being with Moss. Rearranging his face into a bored look, he asked, "So what are you going to do about it? Return the favour?"

Moss shrugged, the smirk not leaving his face, and replied, "Perhaps. She's quite hot. I'm tempted."

Alec gritted his teeth to stop himself from wiping the smirk off Moss's face. With his boots. He mentally berated himself when he realised what he was thinking. Why was he so bothered anyway? Max had the right to like anyone she chose, and she would not be too pleased if he butted in. He forced himself to calm down before saying tightly, "Just don't hurt her, okay?"

Moss put his cue down, studying Alec, "What? That's it? It's unlike you, 494, to just let me off with a warning. If I recall correctly, you used to give me a black eye and a bloody nose just for hanging around any of the girls you know back in Manticore,"

Alec averted his gaze, "Nah, that was back then. I didn't want them distracted by you before a mission," he said lightly.

"I think this one's different for you," Moss said knowingly, studying Alec.

"What are you talking about?"

"You don't fool me. I can see how you look at her. I think the real question is: what are _you_ going to do about it?" Moss asked, giving Alec a look that could only be described as a challenge.

* * *

Max was feeling annoyed for a variety of reasons. First, she wanted to talk to Alec about what had happened that day, but he always seemed to be with someone else. And currently it was Moss. Secondly, her reaction to Moss was beginning to unnerve her. Her heat must be close for her to feel this way, but then again, she was not having such a reaction to Sketchy or Alec. She wondered if it was because her hormones were used to Alec being always around but not Moss.

Since Moss had nowhere to stay, Max had suggested that he bunk over at Alec's. Surprisingly, Alec objected, saying that having Moss there would cramp his style. Moss did not seem offended; instead, he just smirked knowingly at Alec.

Max did not believe Alec. She knew for a fact that Alec had never brought the girls he that slept with back to his place. Now that she thought about it, she did not even remember Alec sleeping over at anyone's place recently. She made a mental note to ask Alec about that.

Max knew that she should offer, but remembering that her heat might be close, she thought that it would be insane to even suggest that Moss stayed over with her and Original Cindy. So she kept her mouth shut. Sketchy had finally saved the awkward situation by offering to put Moss up until he could find a place of his own.

They parted ways at the entrance; Moss went with Sketchy, Original Cindy went with her latest honey, and Max went with Alec to drop him back home.

* * *

He looked up at the dark sky, breathing in the fresh night air as he walked. As usual, the way he carried himself exuded calmness. His mind, however, was whirring with urgent thoughts.

He had to come up with a plan soon. Every minute he spent out here jeopardised everything further. He needed to complete this mission as soon as possible. He did not even want to think of what would happen if he failed. They had always been told that failure was not an option.

He had watched one of them today, and saw how that person interacted with the others. It was important for him to know his prey's weaknesses so that he could succeed in the mission. He knew that his own strength surpassed most people, but he also knew that there was no chance that he could handle more than one transgenic at the same time. So, he needed to either find some reinforcement, or deal with them one by one.

In his mind, he ran through everything he knew about them, trying to find their weaknesses. After a long while, something finally stood out. Something that could work as a diversion. He smiled in satisfaction.

A plan was slowly beginning to take shape in his mind. It was rough and unrefined, but he could sort out the details later. The important thing was; he finally had a viable plan.

* * *

Alec was wondering if the day could get any worse. First, he had had to deal with the memory of what he had done to Rachel and her father. Now, there was Moss to deal with. He was trying to make sense of what Moss had said earlier while they were playing pool. He knew that Moss was implying that both of them liked Max.

The big question was – did he? Alec knew that what he felt for Max was different from what he had felt for Rachel, but then again, he was much closer to Max than he had ever been to Rachel. Did that mean that he liked her in the more-than-friends way?

Lost in his thoughts Alec remained seated behind Max even when Max's ninja rumbled to a stop in front his apartment.

Turning around to face him, Max asked, "Hey, we're here. Are you planning on getting off?"

"Uh, yeah," Alec replied, snapping himself out of his reverie.

He jumped off the bike, "So, you want to come up for a drink or two?" he asked.

Max did not hesitate before answering, "Why not?" After all, she had wanted to talk to Alec alone all night.

They made their way up the stairs and into the sparsely furnished apartment. Max immediately went to the couch and plopped herself into it, sighing in pleasure. Alec smiled, she reminded him of a cat that had found a nice warm spot to snuggle in.

Filling two glasses with scotch, Alec walked towards the couch and sat down, handing a glass to Max.

Max took a sip from the glass and put it down, glancing over at Alec, "So, what's with you and Moss?"

"What do you mean?" he replied absently, staring at the video clip on the television. He had hoped that Max would not bring that topic up, but he should have known that she would. Max was too sharp to miss something like that.

"You know, all that crap about cramping your style," she went on impatiently.

"Oh, that… Yeah, having him here would put the chicks off don't you think?" he said lightly.

Max snorted, "Oh, come on. We both know that you don't bring girls home."

Giving her an amused look, Alec raised an eyebrow, "Of course I do! From where I am sitting, _you_ definitely fit the description," Ignoring Max's frown, he let his eyes wander up and down her body, and continued, "You don't look too bad, either. Unless you don't consider yourself a girl."

Feeling uncomfortable at how Alec just swept his eyes over her body, Max smacked him on the shoulder. "You know that's not what I mean. Would you be serious for a moment and stop avoiding the question?"

"Just didn't feel like having him here, that's all," he finally said. Picking up the remote, he changed the channel, wishing that he could change the topic of conversation just as easily.

"I thought you knew each other," Max continued to prod.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I like him," Alec replied, a mutinous look on his face.

"Why?"

"Why? Because I just don't," Alec insisted, exasperated, "Why are you asking all this anyway? And if you are so concerned, why didn't you offer him a place to stay?"

A few seconds passed before Max decided to answer, "I did think of it, but I think I might go into heat soon," Max admitted quietly.

Instantly, Alec jumped up, staring at her in panic. "You're going into heat?"

Rolling her eyes, Max grabbed his arm and yanked him back onto the couch, "No! At least not yet."

Breathing in deeply and exhaling, Alec nodded, "Yeah, I can't smell anything. So I'm safe for now," he grinned at her.

Max stuck her tongue out. "As if I'd do anything to you. Eeugh!"

"I know you harbor a secret desire for me, Max. You don't have to pretend," Alec said, grinning.

Max snorted, "Dream on, pretty boy."

She decided that this was a good time to change the topic, so she said, "So, you want to tell me what happened earlier today at the mansion?"

Feigning ignorance, Alec said, "Huh? Nothing,"

Max stared at him, her impatience showing in her eyes. "I thought we were past all this, Alec. You can tell me, you know," she persisted.

"There's nothing to tell, Max," he insisted, with an almost imperceptible edge to his voice. He could not tell Max what had happened with Rachel. It was hard enough to deal with without saying anything out loud. All he wanted to do now was to bury Rachel and that mission in the past, not drag it out for discussion.

"Your behaviour is telling me a different story, Alec," Max said, disappointed that he did not trust her enough to tell her what was bothering him. She had thought that after all they had been through, Alec would be more willing to talk to her. Apparently not.

But she guessed that it must be something really painful if he did not want to talk about it. That, she could understand, she thought, as the image of Ben in the forest suddenly came to her mind. There were some things in her life which she found difficult to share with anyone as well. At that thought, Max decided that she had better leave it alone, at least until he was ready to talk about it.

Alec did not miss the disappointed look on Max's face. Alec understood why she would feel that way. As they had gradually become closer, Alec had more or less shared most of what was going through his mind with her. And he had noticed that she had done the same with him. Those things he had shared, however, were not as personal or as painful as the memories of Rachel. Alec hoped that she would understand his reluctance to talk about it.

Sighing wearily, he said, "Look, Max…" he paused, unsure how to continue.

"It's okay," Max said softly before he could. She picked up her glass and downed the scotch before putting it back down.

Stunned at her easy acquiescence, Alec looked searchingly at her, noting her resigned expression, "Max…It's not that I don't want to tell you, but I can't," he explained, running his hand through his hair in frustration.

"I said, it's okay," Max insisted, slightly irritated. Considering how worried she was, it took a lot for her to stop herself from pressing him about it, but she knew that it would only push him away. She knew it because if he did the same thing to her, she would run and hide. Realising that her tone indicated annoyance, she forced herself to smile at him reassuringly.

Alec stared at her suspiciously, wondering why she had suddenly changed her mind about knowing what had happened. Frowning slightly, he asked, "Are you okay?"

Max made a face. "Of course! Why?"

Deciding that it was probably better to leave it at that, Alec shook his head, "Nothing."

They sat drinking in silence for a while, both lost in their own thoughts.

Alec finally broke the silence. "So, what's with you and Moss?" he asked, repeating the question she had asked him not too long ago.

Max raised her brows at the unexpected change in topic. "What?"

"You know, that guy with green eyes, dark hair, slimy name, chick-magnet…Moss? The stray you picked up in South Market?"

Max gave him an exasperated look. "I know who Moss is, you idiot! I mean, why are you asking me about Moss? I barely know him," Max replied, shifting on the couch uncomfortably. She hadn't figured out her own reaction to Moss and the last thing she wanted was to discuss it.

"Just thought that you might have the hots for the guy, that's all," Alec said, smirking to hide his apprehension as he waited expectantly for her answer.

"_NO!_ What are you talking about! Are you crazy?" she denied vehemently, glaring at him in disbelief.

Alec knew he was in trouble when his apprehension lifted immediately after hearing her denial about Moss. That was a sure sign that he had somehow, somewhere along the way, developed stronger feelings for Max than just friendship. He looked at her, taking in the flash in her eyes, her smooth caramel skin, her generous lips…

Moss's challenge came back to haunt him.

_What are you going to do about it? _

* * *

**t.b.c.**

A/N: So, like it? Hate it? Any ideas on what is actually happening, or did I manage to confuse the issue even further? LOL! Review and let me know!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I wish I own Dark Angel, but unfortunately I don't. Otherwise it would never ever be cancelled! Dark Angel and its characters do not belong to me. No infringement intended.

A/N: Thank you for all your reviews! I loved reading all of them. Again, thank you,** Shallowness** for fixing the grammar and all the inconsistencies that I was too blind to see, LOL!

**Calistra** – Hehe! I wish I could tell you if your guess is correct, but then, it's probably going to spoil the story for you! Thanks for your review.

**Vkitty** – Gosh, calm down, woman! Hehe! You are frightening the dogs in your neighbourhood, lol! And, anyway, I didn't leave it at an evil cliffie – it was pretty mild:Sighs: I wish your anger-management gurus good luck. Please don't abuse them! Hehe! Thanks for reviewing.

**Mel11 **– Thanks for your review. Glad you found it good and that you approve of Moss's name :grins: Hope you will enjoy this chapter.

**Kungfuchick** – Hehe! Yep! Alec was jealous alright…But just what was he going to do about it:winks: Thanks for reviewing.

**Aur** – AH! Darn, should not have described Moss like Biggs, because Moss is not Biggs! Sorry for the confusion. :smiles sheepishly. Max now have a choice between those two, so we'll see what happens next :grins: Thanks for reviewing.

**Kim** – Er…yes..Hehe! That's all I could come up with. Other options were Grass, Weed and Lost but you probably can tell that none of them were as good as Moss! Now that you mention it, it does sound like Mulder and Scully :scratches head: Must be the M…S thing, lol! And another thing is, I would keep my options open with the entire un-named stranger thing :winks: Thanks for reviewing!

**Darkangelgirl** – Alec will kiss Max? Hmmm? I think she will deck him for that, lol! Moss and Alec are not friends, they are just acquaintances from Manticore. Thanks for reviewing!

**X5898** – Max was considering calling Moss either Grass, Weed or Lost at first, but then she settled on Moss, thank god! Glad you like the scene where Alec found out Moss's name. And giving Max's penchant for naming strays, I suppose it didn't take Alec too long to figure out who named Moss, LOL! As for the rest of your review on the entire Moss/Max/Alec thing, you never fail to amaze me how perceptive you are. You seemed to always pick up on these little subtle clues I left in various places, hehe! Thanks for your review!

**L80bug** – Thanks for your review! Read on and tell me what you think!

**NoAngell** – Thanks for reviewing. Ah, you know how vague my stories can be :winks:. All I can say is keep an open mind about the person on the mission, ok!

**Alana84** – I'm glad that Moss's name grew on you, otherwise it would be painful to read for the rest of he chapters, lol! I love a jealous Alec too, and we'll see in the next 2 chapters what he'll do about it :grins! As for the rest of your questions:sighs: I can't tell you now, but you'll get the answer in a couple of chapter's time! Thanks for reviewing!

**Angelofdarkness78 **– Yes, I wasn't too fond of school too back when I used to go to one, lol! Darn, that made me sound so ancient! Yes, your theory is definitely plausible! So you'll have to read on to see if it is actually that! Think of Deception and Remember, the pattern is similar:grins evilly:. Thanks for reviewing!

**HoneyX5-452** – Yeah, it was about time he figured that out, lol! And yes, there's definitely something off about Moss but you'll figure out soon! Thanks for reviewing!

**Eva **- :Grins: You'll see what is he going to do about it soon! Glad you like it and thanks for reviewing!

**La Vito** – Thanks for your review. I'm glad you are enjoying the fic so far. Keep on reading and tell me what you think, okay!

* * *

**Recollection - Chapter 4**

(by elle6778)

Moss's challenge came back to haunt him.

_What are you going to do about it? _

A voice appeared in Alec's head, _"Yeah, Alec, what are you going to do about it now that Moss has his eyes on Max as well?"_

"_That shouldn't be a problem since Max doesn't like him that way, right?"_ Alec reasoned, trying to convince himself.

"_Right. But for how long? Everyone knows that Moss has a way with anything female,"_ the voice rebutted.

"_Max wouldn't be tempted. She's not like that,"_ Alec thought, slightly worried now.

"_Are you sure? What if he breaks down her barriers, bit by bit?"_

"_Argh! Shut up!"_ he shouted in his head in annoyance.

He really did not need some voice in his head harrassing him about Max and Moss. But he had to admit that the voice might be right. Whatever Max had said to him earlier, her reaction to Moss was definitely not typical of her usual non-existent reaction to guys, which got Alec a bit worried. Moss seemed to be interested, but knowing him, anything female was fair play. So what could he do about it? Let Moss have his way with Max, or do something to prevent it. Alec realised that deep inside, he would never accept Moss being with Max. He cared too much for her to allow that to happen without a fight. He liked her too much.

"Alec? ALEC!" Max yelled, snapping her fingers loudly in front of his eyes.

Alec snapped up his head to find himself blinking into Max's confused brown ones for the second time that day.

"What's going on with you? You keep zoning out," Max asked, sounding irritated.

Alec threaded his hands through his hair distractedly, "Nothing…Just thinking about something." He wondered what Max's reaction would be if he told her what he had been thinking.

"You're doing an awful lot of thinking today. Be careful or you might hurt yourself," Max said with a smirk.

A scowl marring his features, Alec remarked crossly, "Hey, now _that_ hurts! I have feelings too, you know."

Max rolled her eyes, "Tell it to someone who cares," she said flippantly.

Alec felt an unreasonable urge to sulk. He gave her an unfriendly glare, "And here I was thinking that you cared for me."

Noting the sullen look on Alec's face, Max decided that she should tone down a bit. Concerned, she asked, "What's eating you today? It's not like you to be so touchy."

Alec sighed. Then straightening visibly, he smiled and said, "It's nothing, Max. I'm alright."

Max remained unconvinced but she relented, much to Alec's relief.

When she was about to get up to leave, Alec grabbed her hand, pulling her back down, "Where are you going?"

"Got to get home. It's late."

"It's raining out there," he pointed out, "You can stay here."

After a brief deliberation, Max agreed. After all, it was not as if it was anything new for her to stay the night.

* * *

_He was running through the forest, sweat breaking out on his forehead as he willed himself not to look back. Beside him, running just as fast, was 465. A glance to his side told him that she was just as tired as he was, but both of them knew that they had to keep running. There were only two of them against a dozen men and their hounds chasing after them. They could not afford to stop._

_He could hear the hounds gaining on them, their barks and howls sending shivers up his spine. _

"_Come on, soldier," he encouraged his partner as she began to lag behind. Worried, he grabbed her arm to help her move._

"_I can't…" she gasped, her eyes full of fear._

_Stumbling, she fell hard face down on the forest floor. She tried to get up but fell back down with a loud groan._

"_465! Get up!" As he commanded her insistently, his eyes darted towards the sound of the barking hounds, knowing they were rapidly closing in on them._

_He rushed towards her as he heard her moan of pain._

"_Shit! What's wrong?" he asked anxiously, kneeling beside her._

_What he saw when he turned her over to face him made his heart stop._

"_NO! Come on, you can't do this to me!" he cried in desperation, his eyes taking in her bleeding chest. A stump of wood was protruding from her left ribcage, surrounded by an ever-spreading pool of blood. He pulled her into his arms, not caring that her blood was soaking his shirt._

_Weakly, she opened her eyes and said in a pleading voice, "Go! You can't save me now. Please, go! Don't make me responsible for your capture, 466."_

"_I can't leave you here!" _

"_This is an order, 466. GO!" she insisted, pushing herself off him to fall back onto the ground. "Don't look back," she said in a soft voice before closing her eyes._

Moss's green eyes snapped open. He was drenched in sweat and his heart was racing.

Recalling the nightmare that had woke him up from his slumber, he buried his head in his hands and tried to calm himself down. He stifled the urge to find something and tear it apart viciously to take out his desperate anger.

Knowing that there was no way he could go back to sleep now, he got off the couch and silently donned his clothes. He paused for a moment at the door to check if Sketchy was still asleep. The faint sound of snores from the adjacent room told Moss that he was.

Moss opened the door quietly and stepped outside.

* * *

Robert Berrisford sat beside his daughter's bed, stroking her limp hand as the nurse adjusted the tubes that were attached to various parts of her body. Like he had done every day since the doctors had first let him sit by her, he wondered if she would ever come out of her coma. He missed his vivacious daughter, who was practically the only person alive in the world who mattered to him, as she had been ever since his wife passed away.

_I'll find the bastard who did this and make him pay,_ he vowed with determination.

So caught up was he in his thoughts, he barely noticed that the nurse had left them and that there was another presence in the room.

The noise of someone clearing a throat finally caught his attention. He swung around and almost fell out of his chair in shock.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" he demanded of the young man leaning against the door. Strangely, he was reminded of Simon Lehane. The similarities were not in his looks or any physical attributes, but more the way he held himself. This man was of lighter colouring.

The stranger smiled amiably. "Don't worry, I'm not here to harm you."

"What do you want?" he asked roughly, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"I'm here to offer you help," the stranger said.

In a guarded tone, Robert Berrisford asked, "What sort of help?"

Walking towards the window, the stranger pushed the curtain to the side and peered out. Letting the curtain fall back into place, he turned back to face the older man, "Your security could do with an upgrade," he smirked, and then turned to Rachel.

Robert Berrisford's eyes hardened as he saw the direction of the stranger's gaze.

"And I could help her too," he continued simply.

Stiffening, Robert Berrisford sucked in his breath. "What? What are you talking about?" he asked, his voice expressing a mix of wariness, disbelief and hope.

"My blood. It will take time, but I can help your daughter with my blood."

* * *

The first person who greeted Max the next morning as she walked into Jam Pony was Moss, much to Alec's disgust. Max, he noticed, seemed flustered at the attention but made no move to get away from Moss. Alec remained standing a few steps away from them, listening to Moss talk.

"I was just thinking, Max, that maybe you could show me the ropes today. You know, since I'm new and all," Moss said with a smile, his eyes not leaving Max's.

"I suppose I could," Max replied, forcing herself to break their contact. The way he was looking at her was giving her what Original Cindy had termed as the 'jitters'.

"Great!" Moss exclaimed enthusiastically.

Alec's mood soured. He decided that he would be damned if he let Moss come between him and Max before he had a chance to make her realise how he felt. He stepped forward, practically wedging himself between Max and Moss. "Moss, aren't you a bit early this morning? I remember that you used to love sleeping in when we were back home."

Moss finally appeared to notice Alec's presence. Alec was sure that the other transgenic was just pretending not to see him all this time. _The bastard!_

"Hey, Alec," he greeted with a smirk. "Max was just going with me to help me with my deliveries," he said, purposely ignoring the fact that with Alec's transgenic hearing, he would have had heard it all first hand anyway.

Alec felt like throttling his gloating fellow transgenic. Instead, he composed his face into his usual cocky expression and said, "Really? I think you might want to put that plan on hold for a while, buddy. Max's coming with me," he stated evenly.

Max flashed Alec a questioning look, but neither of the other two transgenic saw it. They were too busy sparring with their eyes. She opened her mouth to speak but something at the back of her mind told her to hold her tongue. She did not know what their deal was but she noticed that Alec was being uncharacteristically stubborn and unhelpful.

"She already agreed to go with me," Moss said with a challenging look.

"We have an unfinished job that can't wait," Alec threw back. He glanced at Max. "We haven't got a signature from the delivery yesterday," he explained.

Remembering, Max nodded. "Right, I guess we have to go get it before Normal decides to kick our asses." To Moss, she suggested, "Why don't you get Sketchy to go with you. He'll be happy to do it."

Moss gave her a disappointed look. "I prefer you," he said softly, his meaning clear to Alec.

Baffled at his bluntness, Max was loss for words. She still had not figured out why she reacted the way she did to Moss, but she was beginning to suspect that he was pursuing her. Suddenly realisation dawned. Moss was trying to get her alone and Alec was trying to stop him. She listened with half an ear as they continued to talk. Why were they doing this anyway? Alec was her friend and she barely knew Moss.

"Alec can do the signature thing by himself, can't he?" Moss continued, oblivious to her thoughts.

Before she could answer, Alec got in first, "No, I can't remember how to get there. She needs to show me the way."

She tried to bite back her annoyance as she realised that the two of them were treating her as if she was a toy to be fought over. They were speaking as if she was not even there. Well, she did not need to stand there and watch them duke it out like two immature teenagers.

Her irritation mounting, she said in a biting tone, "Both of you can go do whatever you like. I'm going to do my deliveries by myself. Oh, and Alec? I'll get the signature. Hopefully by the time I get back, you two will have depleted yourselves of your testosterone," she said with a tight smile.

She promptly turned and headed towards Normal, pausing long enough to grab her packages, and then stormed out , leaving Alec and Moss staring at her retreating back.

After a moment, Moss spoke, "So this is how it's going to be then?"

Alec smirked, "What? You're afraid?" Inwardly, he was hoping that Moss would give up his crazy infatuation with Max. It was, after all, infatuation, and not something as deep as Alec himself felt for Max.

Moss laughed mirthlessly, "You got to be kidding me. You've forgotten who you're dealing with."

"Ooh, I'm scared," Alec mocked, rolling his eyes. Then his expression hardened, "Stay away from her, 466."

"Not a chance, 494." Moss retorted, unrelenting.

* * *

Max was running through the jumble of thoughts in her head as she pedalled to her destination. She was confused as to what was happening between Alec, Moss and herself.

She realised by now that each time she was with Moss, she felt _something _but she could not say what exactly. He definitely seemed to be pursuing her. She wondered if she was attracted to him. She supposed that it would not be such a bad thing. After all, she and Logan were no longer an item, thanks to his distrust of her. So she was free to go out with anyone she chose to. And Moss was not too bad, for a guy.

_Who are you kidding, Max? He's gorgeous and you know it,_ an annoying voice piped up.

Max scrunched up her face. _Looks aren't everything._

_But it helps,_ the annoying voice continued.

_I'm not interested in looks, had enough of them back in Manticore,_ Max scoffed.

_Or maybe it's because of something else, or rather, someone else,_ the voice persisted evilly. _Like Alec._

"Whoa! Where did that come from?" Max gasped aloud, almost falling off her bike in shock.

Replaying the scene in Jam Pony in her head, Max suddenly realised that Alec's behaviour with Moss was far from his normal behaviour. Alec had behaved almost as if he was possessive of her. How could that be? The most she had from him was that he treated her as a good friend, and that friendship had just been a recent development. So was it possible at all that he was interested in her _that_ way?

Questions started pouring through her mind.

_What if he was interested? _

_What was she going to do about it?_

_Could she return his feelings?_

Her heart thudded harder against her chest as she imagined kissing him.

"Argh!" Max groaned loudly, not seeing the looks of shocked wariness that passers-by were giving her. "Stop it! This is Alec you're thinking of!" she chided herself.

She continued to pedal, determined not to be distracted by the thoughts of a pair of twinkling hazel eyes and its corresponding cocky smirk.

* * *

The secure cell phone which they had given him rang shrilly, startling him. This was the first time that it rang since he had got it.

He picked the ringing object out of his pocket, staring at it apprehensively as he deliberated whether or not to answer it. After a few seconds, he decided.

"Yes?" he spoke abruptly, dreading the outcome of his action.

"You are running short of time. Any progress on what we asked for?"

"It's under control. I'm getting closer to acquiring the male," he replied tonelessly, hating what he was doing but unable to stop it.

"Good. And by the way, don't worry about the female. We don't need you to get her anymore."

Surprised, he asked, "Why?"

"It's not necessary for you to know. Just get us the male. We'll be in contact."

The soft click told him that the person on the other side had hung up. Slowly, he returned the phone to his pocket and leaned back against the chair.

He sighed wearily. The blood transfusion had taken more from him than he cared to admit. But at least it brought him closer to his goal of separating the other transgenics from each other.

* * *

Alec sat in front of Max's locker, waiting for her to return from her deliveries. Unfortunately, Moss was also still around, no doubt also waiting for Max.

Alec fumed as he thought of his day. Not only he had missed the chance of going with Max, Normal had insisted that Alec was the best person to show Moss the tricks of the trade. Obviously, neither Alec or Moss was too happy with Normal's decision. But short of sounding like petulant children, they had realised that they had no chance of getting out of it. So both of them had gone together to deliver the packages, all the while trading sarcastic remarks with each other.

His eyes leapt up when he saw Max pushing her bicycle into the storage area. Quickly scanning the room, he noted that Moss was occupied with, of all people, Suki.

Alec smirked as he went to Max's side, hoping that Suki would keep Moss occupied.

"Hey, Maxie," he greeted with a grin

Satisfied that the bike was secured to the rack, Max turned around, "Hi yourself. Testosterone level down yet?" She raised one eyebrow.

"Don't know what you're talking about," Alec replied, feigning ignorance. A quick glance over his shoulder told him that Moss was still occupied. Grabbing her arm, he said, "Let's get out of here, alright. I've something to show you."

"But…hey, what's the rush?" Max asked in consternation as she was propelled out of Jam Pony at a breakneck speed.

Not breaking his stride, Alec said, "Come on…I'll show you. I promise it won't hurt."

Wondering what Alec had on his mind, Max shrugged, "Okay. Whatever."

* * *

Alec took her to the Space Needle.

"You better have a good reason for dragging me through the rain all the way here, Alec. Or I'll kick your ass," she threatened as they climbed up the tower.

Alec grinned as he looked at her. Ever since he had realised his feelings for her, it seemed to him that she looked different. More alluring, almost. Even now, with her damp hair plastered all around her grumpy face, he thought that she looked beautiful. Not that he would ever tell her that to her face.

"You'll see," he said cryptically.

Max rolled her eyes and they continued to climb until they reached the top.

When they finally stepped out onto the roof, Max gave a gasp of surprise. She never came here at this time in the day, in this sort of weather, and she had never realised what she had missed.

"You like it?" Alec asked, an expectant look in his eyes.

Max smiled her agreement, taking in the view in front of her. The sun was setting, casting its red-gold glow across Seattle. The slight drizzle had prompted the formation of a rainbow. The colours splashed across the sky made it look more like a painted picture than anything real.

And it was Alec who had thought enough to show this to her.

She turned to Alec and said softly, "Didn't know you have this side to you."

Her brown eyes searched his hazel ones, trying to find out what prompted him to bring her here. At that moment, Alec's eyes were an open book. What she saw in their depth constricted her chest and made her breath hitch.

No words were spoken as Alec began to lower his lips to hers.

* * *

**t.b.c.** (Da-dummmm! -:quickly ducks flying eggs thrown by readers:-)

A/N: Hehe! Good spot for a break, wasn't it? Please review and let me know how you find this chapter! I am interested to know if the plot is getting any clearer or it getting to be just about as clear as mud, lol!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I wish I own Dark Angel, but unfortunately I don't. Otherwise it would never ever be cancelled! Dark Angel and its characters do not belong to me. No infringement intended.

A/N: Thank you for all your reviews! I loved reading all of them. Again, thank you,** Shallowness** for fixing the grammar and all the inconsistencies that I was too blind to see, LOL!

**Calistra** – Glad you liked the intrigue (your spelling is correct, btw). Ah, the thing about Max is the wrong question, lol! You'll soon see why! Thanks for reviewing.

**Kungfuchick **– Hehe! You'll see soon if they managed to kiss without any interruptions. Thanks for your review!

**Mel11 **– Nice romantic setting. Why shouldn't they kiss? Hehe! You'll find out soon! Thanks for reviewing.

**Darkangelgirl **– Wow, I loved your theories. Some of them are correct to some extent, but I won't tell you which one, LOL! Don't want to spoil it for you! Thanks for reviewing.

**Alana84 **– Thanks for reviewing! I was trying for the cliffie effect again, that's why I stopped writing there :grins:. Anyway, I wish I could answer you questions but all I can say is: Keep the options open!

**L80bug** – Thanks for reviewing!

**Ro **– Evil? Of course not! Hehe! Anyway, you'll see soon what they'll do. Thanks for reviewing!

**X5898** – Thanks for your review. I loved it! You sounded so suspicious of everything, which is a good thing really :grins wickedly:. Lovely to know that someone knows the stuff I write so well, hehe! This chapter will clear a couple of things up, but there are still some unknowns.

**Chance32** – Thanks for reviewing! Don't worry, this is going to end up a MA fic no matter what Max does!

**Cherrygirl1987** – Thanks for your review.

**Crazywhoddunit **– Nah, the suspense in this story is not as bad as some others. And no! Please don't make me responsible for the state of your heart, lol! Thanks for reviewing.

**Latinapotterfan** – Where else could I stop:grins: It was the most appropriate place for a break! Thanks for reviewing!

**Lotamoxie **– Yeah, I love it when Alec gets all jealous! About Moss, I would keep an open mind about what's going on. Thanks for reviewing!

**Eva** – Me evil? Nah:Blinks innocently: Glad you think that it's progressing nicely. Thanks for reviewing!

**Kim** – LOL! Loved the names. I really should have asked you for suggestions. Sprite and Pine would have been good ones to use, hehe! Alec and Max are not really together yet; Alec just made his move! And about Moss, please keep the options open okay…Trust me on this! Thanks for reviewing!

**Lakergirl08 **– Hehe! I JUST managed to duck in time! All you questions will not be answered in this chapter, unfortunately. Maybe a bit about Moss…Thanks for reviewing!

**Vkitty **– Woman/man/alien? ALIEN? LOL! I really thought it was a good place to leave it anyway, hehe! MaxAlec-y moments coming up in this chapter! Enjoy! Thanks for reviewing!

**Angelofdarkness78** – Thanks for reviewing! Glad you liked the suspense. Hehe! And of course Max and Alec should be part of that suspense, it's only fair, lol! And on a completely unrelated topic, with regards to your review of Retrieved, I could try to do a MZ one, but I need to get to know Zack first! No doubt it'll be nowhere as good as your masterpieces!

**Sarah** - Thanks for your review of all 3 chapters! Glad you are enjoying the story so far. I can't really answer your questions without giving away the story, so you need to read on to find out! I'm one of your fave writers:blush:Having doubts about some bits in this story may not be a bad thing, as you'll soon find out! Hehe!

* * *

**Recollection - Chapter 5**

(by elle6778)

No words were spoken as Alec began to lower his lips to hers.

Max's eyes widened as she comprehended his intent. It confirmed what she had seen in the depth of his eyes a second ago. She found herself unable to move as she watched his face descend slowly towards hers. She mentally tried to process what was happening but it was futile. It was like her whole brain had suddenly just stopped functioning.

When his lips brushed hers lightly, she felt a jolt at the contact. Then her eyes fluttered shut as he deepened the kiss, skilfully coaxing a response from her. She felt herself grow warm all over as she succumbed to the kiss.

Then suddenly it was over.

Alec pulled back to look at her, a glazed look in his eyes.

Max blinked in astonishment and quickly averted her gaze from him. Her hands found his chest, pushing him away from her in a hurry. At the same time, she stepped back, increasing the distance between them. She could feel the tension even now that they were no longer touching.

Still stunned, she took a moment to catch her breath before she spoke. Her voice contained a mix of disbelief, wariness and confusion. "What the hell was that for?"

Alec's expression was unreadable. But Max guessed that he was just as surprised as she was about what had just taken place.

"Alec?" she prompted impatiently, wanting him to say something. Anything.

Alec ran a hand through his hair in a show of discomfort. He had not planned to kiss her; it had just happened. "What does it look like, Max?"

"Alec, you were kissing me. That's hardly what you would normally do, right?" she said, incredulous.

Alec smiled. "And what was so bad about it? My kisses are legendary, you know. And you do know now," he said in a teasing tone, trying to lighten the atmosphere. For once, he had no clue how to talk his way out of his predicament. He had thought that it was pretty obvious what was going on, but this was Max. She was the ultimate Queen of Denial. He supposed he could tell Max straight out how he felt, but he was not sure that she would take it all that well.

Max crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him. "I can't believe you're joking about this."

Alec shrugged and then grinned, "You need to ease up. You're strung up so tight that I'm worried you might snap."

Max glowered at him. "And how's that related to what you just did?"

Alec groaned, realising that she was not about to let the incident go anytime soon. He should have known that this was going to happen, but her persistence had always added to her appeal to him. He laid his hand on her shoulders, feeling relieved when she did not brush it off. "Max, are you really telling me that you have no idea why I kissed you?"

Surprised at the counter-attack, Max was rendered speechless for a moment before she finally found her voice and said, "Are you telling me that you're interested in me?"

Alec's eyes went heavenwards. "You're not as slow as you let on," he muttered, unsure what would be her reaction now that she had found out.

Max had suspected it, but hearing the confirmation from him was still a shock. Her musings earlier when she had been doing her deliveries came to her mind. She had not answered her own question. _Could she return his feelings? _Max still had no idea what to answer to that.

At her silence, Alec's apprehension grew. He would very much prefer her to hit him rather than go into her silent mode. When she was like this, he had no idea what she was thinking. "Max? You're freaking me out."

"Well, it's all your own fault!" Max snapped, her confusion about the entire situation irritating her.

Relieved that Max had spoken again, he grinned, "I hardly think it's solely my fault. You kissed me back too," he pointed out smugly, and then went on, "I know that it's difficult to understand why a fine specimen such as myself would want to subject himself to some violent chick, considering the number of options I have. I had to cancel many dates to bring you here tonight. It was hard, but hey, I've accepted it. And you should too," he continued to babble.

Max's eyes narrowed. As usual, she only focussed on the negative. _Did he just say that she was violent?_

Ignoring Max, he continued blithely, "Even Manticore tried to play matchmaker. I know that their methods were less than acceptable, but that's Manticore for you. Copulation, they called it. I always thought that copulation was a really harsh word to use to describe such a pleasurable activity. But never mind that. What I wanted to say was that it was a shame that we didn't get a chance to complete that particular mission…"

_SMACK!_

"Oww! Max!" Alec rubbed his stinging shoulders, eyeing Max with an offended look. She did not seem to know her own strength. Being hit by another transgenic was no laughing matter, even when one was a transgenic himself. "What the hell did you do that for?" he complained, indignant.

Max rolled her eyes, "Isn't it obvious?"

"Fine, be that way!"

Grabbing Alec's arm, Max yanked him to the stairs, "Let's head home."

Grinning, Alec waggled his brows, "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"Get your mind out of the gutter!"

"What?" Alec gave her an innocent look.

"Alec…" Max warned as she held up her clenched fists.

He held his hands in surrender, "Okay, okay, chill… No need for further violence."

_SMACK!_

"Damn it, Max! That hurts!"

They made their way down the tower without any mishaps. Walking side by side, each of them were preoccupied with their own thoughts.

In a contemplative mood, Max wondered how this latest development would affect their relationship. She did not know what to think. Being with Alec would be fun, they would never be bored the way they bickered all the time. There was no question about their physical attraction now that they had shared that steamy kiss. Max willed herself not to blush as she replayed the scene in her head. It was by far the best kiss she had ever shared with anyone.

Half an hour later they parted ways, Max to her apartment and Alec to his own.

Alec had walked all the way to his apartment before he suddenly realised that Max had not told him how she felt about him. The idea of pressing her into giving him an answer left as quickly as it came. He knew that she needed time to digest everything that had just taken place up there in the Space Needle. Alec decided that he should just wait until she was ready. In the meantime, he just had to make sure that Moss kept his distance.

* * *

He sat beside the girl, watching the dark red liquid as it flowed from his arms through a transparent tube to the arm of the girl lying still in the bed. It seemed that his plan might work after all. His sharp eyes had already noticed that the pallor in her cheek had been gradually replaced by a soft, healthier rosy hue. 

The nurse walked in. After checking on the girl, she turned to him and gestured for his arm. Releasing a sigh of relief when she extracted the tube from his arm, he clenched his hands and flexed his arm to ease his discomfort. Blood transfusion was not on his list of favourite things to do, but as a soldier in Manticore, he had done it many times, so he knew what to expect.

He stood up, blinking rapidly to clear the black spots swimming in front of his eyes before taking a step towards the door. A soft touch on his shoulders made him halt. It was the nurse.

"Mister Berrisford said to tell you to wait here. He would like to speak to you before you go," she informed him.

Nodding to her, he sat back in the chair, deciding that he might as well wait. He had nothing else planned anyway.

A moment later, Robert Berrisford walked in and went straight to his daughter. After planting a kiss on her forehead, he looked at the blonde haired young man. He was now convinced that the stranger had not been lying when he said he could help Rachel. He had only given her two transfusions and she was looking much better already.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked

"Just doing my civic duty," came the flippant reply.

Berrisford stared at him and frowned, "You're helping my daughter but you haven't even told me your name."

There was a moment of silence before he said, "Call me anything you like. It doesn't matter."

Berrisford looked confused, "Don't you have a name?"

He shook his head, his lips twisted in a wry smile. "Fine then, call me…Dan," he said as he remembered one of his cover names.

"Very well, Dan. Why are you doing this?" Berrisford asked again, determined to get an answer this time. He searched Dan's blue eyes, looking for signs of deception.

In a level tone, Dan said, "Does it matter? Your daughter will recover and that's all that matters to you, isn't it?"

"How is this even possible?" Berrisford wondered out loud. "Nothing we did in the last year helped. And then you come along and she gets better. Granted, she's not awake but the doctor said that her vital readings are much stronger."

The blonde-haired man shrugged. "You could say that my blood contains… healing properties."

"I don't understand."

"Gene-splicing and stem-cells ring a bell?"

Berrisford sucked in a deep breath, eyeing Dan warily. "Are you involved with Manticore?"

"I suggest you quit asking these questions. The last time you tried to mess with Manticore, nothing good came out of it."

"Are you saying that Manticore caused this?" he asked tightly, gesturing at his daughter.

"That was the rumour floating around. The guy failed the mission, so practically everyone knew about it," Dan replied, looking bored.

"If you're with Manticore, what do you get out of helping us then?" the older man asked, his suspicions mounting as a sinking feeling appeared in his stomach.

Dan shrugged. "Manticore as we know it is no longer around. I have another mission to carry out, and I need your help."

"What do you want from me? Tell me," Berrisford's voice had grown louder as his apprehension increased. He realised now that he should not have trusted the stranger, but he had been so desperate that he had been willing to try anything.

"Nothing you can't provide,"

"Damn it! Talk straight, will you? I have no time for this," he shouted in frustration, completely unaware how loud he was.

A weak voice suddenly caught his attention.

"Dad…? My head hurts…"

* * *

Max was cursing at Alec for running out on her halfway to their destination. One minute they were pedalling side by side, and then, when she told him where they were going, he just sped off. He did not even bother to look back at her when he yelled over his shoulders that he had forgotten something. 

"Right. Forgotten something. As if…" Max scoffed under her breath.

Max wondered what was it about this place which had made Alec so unsettled. She was positive that he was purposely avoiding it today. He had refused to tell her anything the last time she asked, but she hoped that in time, he would feel comfortable enough to do so.

Her thoughts went back to their trip up the Space Needle last night when he had pretty much told her that he liked her _that_ way. She was aware that she had not given him any indication whether or not she felt the same way. The truth was, she simply did not know. Until a couple of days ago, the thought had not even occurred to her. She had enjoyed his company and that kiss they shared. She wondered if that meant that she actually felt something for him.

This morning when Alec had come up to her, asking to do their deliveries together, Max had not noticed anything unusual about his behaviour. He had not brought up the topic even a once during their last few hours of delivery. Max wondered if he had regretted saying what he did. The thought of that brought her a strange sense of disappointment.

As the gate came into view, Max saw a blonde man exiting. She hurried forward.

"Hey!" she shouted across the twenty metres or so which separated them. "Hold the gate!"

He apparently had not heard her because he let the gate slam shut behind him and continued to walk away briskly.

"Great," Max muttered as she made her way to the gate at a slower pace.

Thankfully, this time she managed to gain entry without too much trouble.

When the front door opened to reveal a maid, Max said, "Jam Pony messenger. We delivered a package here a couple of days ago. Can I get a signature?"

The maid took the clipboard and walked into the house. Curious, Max stepped into the foyer and looked around. Her eyes went to a large portrait, taking in the family of three. The mother, who was wearing a golden locket, held her daughter lovingly. Max thought that they looked like a contented family.

She then walked back out and mounted her bike in readiness to return to Jam Pony.

She did not notice the blonde man or the calculating look on his face as he peered out at her from behind a truck.

* * *

Max walked into Jam Pony and headed towards Normal. 

Slamming down the clipboard on the counter, she said, "Here, all signed."

Normal looked unimpressed. "It's about time," he snapped, snatching up the clipboard to inspect it.

Rolling her eyes, Max swivelled around just to run straight into Moss.

"Hey, Max, you okay?" he asked with concern, grabbing her arms to steady her.

Max was about to come up with a sharp retort but when she saw the way he was looking at her, she suddenly felt tongue-tied. _Those eyes should be classified as a weapon_, she thought. Flustered, she carefully detached his arms from hers and said, "Yeah. Thanks."

Pretending not to notice her reaction, Moss grinned, "So, where have you been? I missed seeing you today."

"Busy with deliveries. How are you settling?" she asked.

"Okay, I guess. Managed to find my way around the different sectors," he replied. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Alec enter the building with Sketchy. Hoping that Alec had not spotted them, he gestured towards the lockers. "Come with me, I'll show you something," he said, grabbing her arm.

"Huh? What?" she asked, but she did not resist as he pulled her along.

"I got hold of something today," he said mysteriously as he made sure they were hidden from view.

Max wondered if it was wise for her to stand here alone with Moss, considering her reaction to him. But her curiosity got the better of her, so she stood silently as she waited for him to fish something out of his pocket.

When he finally found what he wanted, he grabbed her hand and pressed a small object into her palm.

Max looked down and her mouth fell open. It was a tiny watch, exquisitely crafted. She had never seen one so beautifully made.

"That's for you," Moss said softly, still holding her hand.

Max glanced up to see him looking at her as if he was seeking for approval. Much as she liked it, she suspected that if she accepted the watch, Moss might take that as a sign of her interest. She still had not had a chance to analyse how she felt about him. Her reaction to Moss, coupled with what happened between her and Alec up at the Space Needle last night, was throwing her entire perception of her non-existent love-life into shambles.

She had a sense of not wanting to hurt Moss's feelings after he had obviously gone through so much trouble to procure something so nice for her. Swallowing with great difficulty, she forced herself to say, "Moss, I can't take this."

As expected, his face fell, making Max feel guilty. "Why not, Max?"

"It's too much," she said lamely.

"What am I going to do with it then?" he asked with a wry grin. He moved so close to her that she could almost feel his breath. "Think of it as a repayment for rescuing me. Keep it, okay?" he coaxed gently.

Unable to say anything else, Max decided just to nod.

Smiling, Moss took the watch out of her hands. "Let me put it on," he offered, bending over her wrist.

As he strapped the watch, a small movement behind Moss caught Max's attention. Peering over his shoulders Max felt her heart sank as she noticed who it was. Moss and Alec's little scene yesterday morning came rushing back to her. She was sure that Alec would not be too happy seeing her alone with Moss now.

"Alec…" she started, feeling Moss tense in front of her as he straightened.

"Hey, there you are!" Alec greeted jovially, but when he came closer, Max detected the almost imperceptible murderous glint in his eyes. Looking back and forth between Max and Moss, he asked with an innocent look, "What? Did I interrupt something?"

Moss raised his eyebrows and gave Alec a smirk, "No. We're all done anyway."

"Oh yeah? What are you up to anyway? Care to share?" Alec drawled lazily, but his eyes were shooting daggers at Moss.

"Alec, you should know by now that I don't share," Moss retorted in a pointed manner, his smirk still firmly in place.

Max blinked in astonishment as she saw Alec visibly reining in his anger. She had never seen him so close to losing it. She was not stupid; she could read the undercurrents of their conversation. Alec probably had guessed that Moss was interested in her and was obviously not happy about it, considering his own feelings for her.

"Hey, Alec. We need to go if we don't want to be late to Joshua's," Max said, trying to distract Alec.

Alec turned his attention to her, taking a couple of seconds to digest what she had just said. "Right. Joshua," he repeated. Not looking back at Moss, he continued, "Let's go."

But Moss apparently was not willing to give up yet. "Who's Joshua?" he asked Max.

"Another transgenic, but he has canine DNA. He's invited us for dinner," Max explained.

"Really? Another one of us!" Moss exclaimed, sounding excited.

Alec rolled his eyes. "There're hundreds of us out there but I guessed you missed the graduation ceremony at the base, huh," Alec said sarcastically.

Moss did not respond to Alec, instead, he pointedly continued to speak to Max. "Say, could I come too? Would be nice to meet another one of our kind," he said, giving Max a hopeful look.

Max hesitated, unsure what to do. Moss sounded genuinely interested. She knew that if someone were to tell her there was another transgenic around, she would be just as interested. Her only worry was that Alec might talk Joshua into serving Moss up as the main course. On the other hand, perhaps forcing them to sit together would help them come to terms with their animosity.

_Fat chance,_ she thought as she sneaked a glance at Alec, noting that he was looking exaggeratedly bored.

"Alec, do you think Joshua would mind?" she asked.

Alec shrugged. "How should I know?" he replied, completely nonchalant.

"Look, if it's too much trouble, then it's okay. I don't have to go, Max," Moss said, managing to sound disappointed.

Max suddenly had an overwhelming urge to bash Alec's and Moss's heads together.

"Fine. Moss, come if you like. I don't think Joshua would mind," she finally said, and started walking out, not caring if either of them were following her.

* * *

Rachel sat in her bed and stared at her father in disbelief. 

"But, Dad, I don't want to do it," she protested.

Berrisford sighed. "Rachel, Dan helped save your life. All he asks is for you to talk to the guy for a while," he tried to reason with his headstrong daughter.

Rachel jutted out her chin stubbornly. "I don't want to see or talk to him again," she declared.

"It's just for a few minutes," her father persisted,_ '…a few minutes until I get hold of the bastard to make him pay!' _he continued in his head.

Slumping in defeat, she said softly, "Dad…I can't…"

"I hate to say this, but you don't have a choice. It's a small price to pay for your life," her father said in a solemn tone.

Rachel buried her face in her hands and sobbed. Her breath ragged, she whispered ferociously, "I hate him! I hate him!"

Berrisford wrapped his arms around his daughter, murmuring consoling sounds as he silently cursed Manticore and Simon Lehane.

* * *

**t.b.c.** (Look! No cliffie! Hehe!) 

A/N: This chapter should have answered a few of your questions, and so will the next few chapters. So, did you like it? Please let me know by sending me a review:grins:


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I wish I own Dark Angel, but unfortunately I don't. Otherwise it would never ever be cancelled! Dark Angel and its characters do not belong to me. No infringement intended.

A/N: Gosh, I hope that this chapter clears up more stuff. Loved your reviews and all the questions you asked. It made me think more about what I was writing! Again, thank you,** Shallowness** for fixing the grammar and all the inconsistencies that I was too blind to see, LOL!

**L80bug** - Thanks for reviewing!

**Calistra** - Why the sudden violence towards Moss? LOL! Max is always confused when it comes to stuff relating to feelings, I seem to think! Thanks for reviewing.

**X5898** - Thanks for the extra long review! I think this is your longest review on my fics to date! I'm happy that you enjoyed the Space Needle scene, good to know that it achieved the desired effect :). I had a good time reading your theories, in some ways, you are right, but as you correctly guessed, I can't tell you, hehe! Otherwise it will spoil the fun for you!

**Doza** - Oops! Sorry for making you miss the shopping. Hope your fridge is well stocked up now .:grins:. I'm kinda flattered actually! Glad that you stumbled upon 'Remember' and decided to read this! Anyway, thanks for reviewing both my fics and hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Alana84** - Thanks for reviewing! Glad you liked the space needle scene and how I portray the characters. Yeah, Alec is fun to write, particularly because he seemed to be capable of a wide range of ...er...emotions! Hehe!

**Darkangelgirl** - Ah...Moss and Max getting close? Erm...might be too late now. Read on and you'll see why! Yeah, it's not fair on Alec that Rachel's mad at him but she doesn't know the full story .:winks:. Anyway, the whole thing is not as complicated as it seems, but I'm glad you like it! Thanks for reviewing!

**Cherrygirl1987 **- Glad you liked the interaction between Max and Alec and also all the twist and turns. Hope it's not too confusing ;p Thanks for reviewing!

**Angelofdarkness78 **- But...but...Moss is too cute to be damaged too! LOL! Yep, Rachel is back to complicate matters even more, which I suppose is good for the fic! And yes! Your MZ masterpieces. I think I might have an idea of a fluffy fic for MZ, but we'll see what comes out of it in the next week. Thanks for reviewing!

**Kungfuchick** - Thanks for your review! More on Dan up in this chapter and what he's up to, but I have top admit that its still a bit fuzzy! Glad you liked the kissing.

**Mel11** - Alec's reaction to Rachel is coming up (kind of! It'll be more the next chapter!) .:grins:.. Glad you liked the chapter and thanks for reviewing!

**Kim** - So glad you like Moss's character. He's quite fun to write! Yep, his name has the same effect on me as well, LOL! The other transgenics has always been there, just that no one was sure if he's Moss or another one - hehe! Thanks for reviewing!

**Sarah** - Thanks for your review! Yup! They are 2 different guys, hehe! And there're more surprises to come soon. Rachel coming back to life would be quite an angsty thing to write, so not much fun there. But I've seen ONE fic so far where that had happened. Cannot remember which one though!

**Aur** - Yup...they are different guys, hehe! Sorry, I just couldn't help myself .:smiles sheepishly:. I suppose Alec was worried enough by Moss that he decided to do something about it! (About time too!) Thanks for reviewing!

**Crazywhoddunit **- So many questions, LOL! Good news is, you'll find out what's happening in the next 2 chapters. Sorry about the suspense, hehe! But I'm sure you'll be okay .:winks:.

**Latinapotterfan **- What's wrong with that ending? I even omitted the cliffie! LOL! Thanks for reviewing!

**Eva** - Zack? Nope, it's not Zack - that would complicate things way too much! Maxalecy-ness is only half the theme of the story, so I'm afraid you have to put up with the distractions, LOL! Thanks for your review! (p/s: Glad you're hooked :winks:)

**La Vito** - Thanks for reviewing! Glad you like it more as we progresses. As for the Alec/Max/Moss triangle, there would be some progress in this chappie.

**Lakergirl08 **- Thanks for reviewing! Oops, sorry for the confusion, hehe! Nope, Dan is not Ben. Dan had been mentioned in the previous chapters as the mystery guy. I hope this chapter will clear a few things up -:grins:.

* * *

**Chapter 6**

(by elle6778)

As expected, Joshua had greeted Moss with excitement, thumping the smaller transgenic's back in welcome. Alec did not bother to hide his grin when he saw Moss trying unsuccessfully to hide a wince at the impact. He made a mental note to get Joshua an extra large chunk of ham hock as soon as he could.

There were five of them there, Alec noted. Original Cindy was helping Joshua with the table layout, while he, Max and Moss sat down around the table.

Hurrying out of the kitchen with a huge grin on his face, Joshua set down plates of steaming food in front of each of his friends and the new one. "Having macaroni and cheese, and little-little hot dogs."

"Sounds good," Moss said, staring at his plate with an unreadable expression.

Max gave Joshua a smile. "The table looks great."

"Let's eat!" Joshua gestured at their plates enthusiastically and proceeded to dig in into his. Literally.

His fork poised in mid-air, Moss watched Joshua with a fascinated look on his face.

Original Cindy cleared her throat and gave Moss a pointed look.

Startled at her unspoken warning, Moss quickly said, "Uh, yeah. Let's eat."

After a few minutes, Max reached out for the bottle of ketchup which was in front of Joshua. Momentarily distracted from his plate, Joshua looked up and spotted the object on Max's wrist.

"New watch, little-fella?" he asked with curiosity, peering at it.

"Um, yeah. Moss gave it to me this afternoon," Max answered with a slightly embarrassed expression. She stole a glance at Alec to see that he seemed to be finding his plate of food far more fascinating than the conversation.

Original Cindy raised her eyebrows. "Really?" she said sounding interested. "Original Cindy has to say that it ain't easy to find things like that these days."

Alec snorted without looking up from his plate. "Yeah, Moss probably has many ways of getting his hands on stuff like that. Right, Moss-boy?"

"Hey, I got that in a fair trade, okay," Moss defended himself, offended at Alec's insinuation.

"There are many types of trade," Alec retorted, a smirk on his face.

"Look, just because I got my hands on something, that doesn't mean that I did anything wrong. I _work_ to get what I want. And I normally succeed. I don't fail, unlike some other people," Moss said pointedly, looking at Alec.

Alec tensed. "What was that supposed to mean?" he bit out, his smirk leaving his face.

"Aw, come on, Alec. Everyone back in Manticore knew about that failed mission. It wasn't often that a soldier got thrown into psy-ops for so long," Moss said nastily.

As his shock turned to fury, Alec just stared at Moss mutely, unable to form a retort. He could not believe that Moss had actually brought that up. Around him, everyone else had stopped eating. They were more interested in what Moss and Alec were discussing.

"Moss, what are you talking about?" Max asked, a small frown of confusion marring her brows.

Moss smirked, uncaring that Alec looked almost ready to kill him. "Ask him about the Berrisford mission."

Max gasped. Berrisford was the name on the package they had delivered. Instantly, she understood why Alec had been so reluctant to return to the mansion.

Alec clenched his hands into fists, trying to keep himself from clambering over the table towards Moss and punching him into a pulp. "That's something private, Moss. You have no right to tell everyone about it," Alec ground out angrily.

"It's not like you could change anything anyway," Moss said dismissively.

"Moss…" Max warned as she gave him a threatening look, thinking that he had gone too far.

Alec had enough of Moss. _It's time for payback,_ he thought viciously.

Standing up abruptly, he snarled, "How about I tell everyone the reason you're so attractive to the female population, huh? That Manticore made you with increased level of pheromones so that they could use you as their whore to seduce influential women? Would you like that?" Alec's flashing eyes met Moss's reproving ones.

"What?" Max exclaimed, surprised at the revelation. _So that was what all of that was about! _Her strange attraction to Moss finally made sense. His pheromones would naturally affect her whenever she was close by, making her react the way she did.

Original Cindy was obviously thinking along the same lines. "Glad to know that there's nothing wrong with me," she muttered in relief.

Moss remained silent as he glared at Alec for letting out his secret. Joshua just looked back and forth between his guests, unsure what to make of the situation.

Still looking angry, Alec stepped away from the table. "I'm going to stretch my legs," he said tersely.

The rest of them watched wordlessly as Alec made his way to the basement.

Joshua sniffed the air and spoke, breaking the silence, "Mac and cheese overdone?"

Max gave him a reassuring look. "No, big-fella. The mac and cheese is great." Turning her attention to Moss, she said in an accusing tone, "You should have told us about your thing."

Moss shrugged. "Didn't think it was necessary for anyone to know."

Max was about to tell him off for using his skills on her when the tinkling sound of a piano being played caught her ears. "What's that?" she asked as the dramatic melody flowed into the room.

"Alec. A piano in the basement," Joshua replied.

Original Cindy looked impressed. "He's got skills."

Pushing her chair back, Max got up. "I'll be back in a second."

* * *

Alec ran his fingers over the keys, playing a piece from memory.

Moss's disclosure about his failed mission had brought back everything he had been trying to forget for the last few days. He had almost succeeded as well, his attention all taken up by his newly discovered feelings for Max.

As he continued to play, flashes of the past came back to haunt him.

He saw himself playing the piano in Manticore. Sandoval and two other men had joined him when he had finished the piece. One of the men had complimented him on his skills. Alec smiled a little; what else did they expect from him but the best? That was when he had been told that he was to be deployed at the end of that week. He remembered being told that Rachel was his first point of contact, which at that time, had not bothered him at all. But that had soon changed when he met her and had gotten to know her.

Alec stopped playing and reached into his coat pocket. He withdrew a heart-shaped locket and looked at it with a sigh. He had found it with his possessions after his trip to psy-ops but he had not been able to remember how it got there. But now he knew. Rachel had been wearing the locket when he had told her the real reason he was at her house. It had got caught in his hands when Rachel had rushed away from him in disgust.

His feelings of self-condemnation returned.

Lost in his own thoughts, he did not detect Max's presence until she sat down beside him on the piano stool.

"Hey, you okay?" she asked softly, searching his eyes.

Alec's lips twisted as he said, "Would you believe it if I told you yes?"

"No."

"There you go. You got your answer," he said flippantly.

Max was not fooled by his tone. "You can talk to me, you know," Max coaxed, feeling strange that she was talking to Alec like this. But she had sensed that this was not the right time to be flippant. The subdued look on Alec's face told her that much.

Alec looked up. "There's really nothing much to tell," he said in a weary tone.

"Try me. What have you got to lose anyway, right? And if it gets really bad, you can take it out on me. But I can't promise that I won't retaliate," she offered with a grin.

Alec returned her grin half-heartedly. Max was right. What harm could it do for him to confide in her? Maybe if he got it off his chest, he would feel better.

Taking a deep breath, he started telling her about the Berrisford mission. He told her about Manticore's orders, Rachel, her father, how he had managed to mess everything up and how thoroughly Manticore's psy-ops team had succeeded in making him forget all about it.

Max's first reaction when she heard about Rachel was a foreign feeling that she finally identified as jealousy. Then she noticed the look of pain and remorse on Alec's face as he continued to tell her what had happened. Max's hatred for Manticore grew as he told her what psy-ops had done to him, wiping out the little bit of humanity he had shown at that time. It was despicable how Manticore had always treated them as objects to be used without any thought to their feelings.

When Alec stopped speaking, Max scooted closer to him and wrapped her arms around him tightly, placing her head on his shoulders. She did not think that words were necessary at this point. They stayed that way for a while before Alec spoke.

"This is all I have left," Alec said, holding up the locket for Max to see.

Max recognised it as the one that she had seen in the portrait when she had gone back to the mansion for the signature. "I saw it on her mother in the portrait when I went back there today."

"I really should give it back," Alec said quietly, obviously reluctant to return it.

Max said thoughtfully, "I think she would have wanted you to have it."

Alec smiled and said, "Thanks, Max," and proceeded to plant a kiss at the corner of her lips, but did not go any further.

Max had wondered if he would kiss her properly again, and was strangely disappointed when he did not. Maybe she felt something for him after all, she thought.

They just sat there in companionable silence, neither of them feeling like speaking.

* * *

The rest of the party had already finished their food when Alec and Max finally returned from the basement. Max noted that they seemed to be doing fine without her and Alec. Moss and Original Cindy was engrossed in a heated debate on the pros and cons of homosexuality, and Joshua was looking at each of them in turn as if he was watching a tennis match.

Noticing their approach, Moss paused mid-sentence and gave her a questioning look, but was wise enough to hold his tongue this time.

Original Cindy, on the other hand, had no such qualms. "You two spent an awful long time down there," she remarked.

Joshua chuckled and said innocently, "Max and Alec... Getting busy?"

Horrified, both Max and Alec shouted simultaneously, "NO!" then looked around sheepishly.

Joshua, Original Cindy and Moss recoiled, taken aback by the vehemence of their response.

Carefully, Joshua said, "Okay...Max and Alec not getting busy."

Original Cindy raised a knowing brow. "If that's what you say..."

Moss just remained silent as he studied the couple thoughtfully.

Uncomfortable, Alec decided to change the topic. "Right, guys. I'm heading back home. Need to catch up on my beauty sleep," he announced, moving towards the door.

"Thanks for coming," Joshua said, waving at his retreating back.

When the door slammed, Original Cindy turned to Max. "So, what really happened down there?" she asked.

"What? Nothing!"

"Sure, boo. I believe you."

Not wanting to continue this line of conversation, Max decided to follow Alec's lead. "Whatever. I've got to blaze," then walked towards Joshua. "Thank you for dinner, big-fella. It was lovely," she said, planting a kiss on his head.

"You take care, little-fella," Joshua said affectionately.

"Wait, I'll come with you," Moss suddenly offered.

Max nodded and waited for Moss while he thanked Joshua. Then they walked out together into the night.

* * *

Dan stood in the shadows as he watched Max and Moss leave the house together. He frowned, worried. Things were not going quite as planned but there was still a chance that he might be able to make it work. All he needed now was for them to split up and make sure that they remained separated, allowing him the opportunity to take one down.

Glancing at his watch, he noted that there was another half hour to go before the broadcast. He hoped that his prediction was correct, that the one who was known as Alec would head towards the mansion soon after that. And seeing how close they were, the girl would follow close behind. He suddenly felt an unwanted feeling of remorse as he thought of what awaited them there. Berrisford had not told him anything but Dan knew that the older man wanted revenge for wht had happened to his daughter.

Dan forced himself not to think about it. He could not afford the distraction right now.

Not if he wanted to save his own life.

* * *

Max and Moss had been walking for a few minutes before Max decided to break the silence.

"Listen, Moss... I don't know how to say this but you know, my reaction to you and all..."

Moss interrupted. "Max, I get it. You don't have to say anything if this is about the thing between you and me, and you and Alec."

"What? How do you know?"

"I'm not blind and I know you're about to tell me to lay off. What I'm saying is don't worry about it. For me it's just a bit of fun. But for Alec, it's for real."

Max did not know whether she should be offended or not. Moss thought of her as a bit of fun? She decided to confront him about it. "What do you mean? A bit of fun?"

Moss cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Are you sure you want to know?" He waited for her confirmation before he continued, "Well, I was designed to produce and release a higher level of pheromones to attract the opposite sex. It's like your heat, just a bit lower in intensity. It works wonderfully well, but there's a downside as well. I get affected too. It makes me want to...er...how to put this politely... to go hunt and conquer…"

"Was that why you and Alec..."

Moss nodded and smiled sheepishly, "Yeah, I had been showing an interest in you just because Alec was interested as well. My hormones had sensed competition and had decided to fight back. Not that I couldn't stop it if I'd wanted to. I could have stopped it before it got too far, or if you were unwilling. I'm not an animal. Well, most of the time," he said with a large grin.

"If you could stop it, then why continue?"

Moss made a face and then grinned. "What? And deprive myself of the fun of seeing Alec all pissed off? You've got to be kidding me."

Max's face showed her incredulity. "You guys are all the same," she stated flatly.

"Hmm…I think it must be the way we've been brought up," he said thoughtfully.

Max rolled her eyes.

When they reached her apartment, Moss turned around and said, "Right, I'll catch you at work tomorrow then."

Max nodded and went up alone.

* * *

Alec sat on his couch, nursing a bottle of beer as he half-heartedly flipped through the different channels on the television. His mind was preoccupied by his conversation with Max earlier.

He was glad that he had finally told her about the mission. The entire incident had been weighing heavily on him ever since he had recalled what had happened, so it was nice to have someone there to listen, to share his worries with. He would not have believed until he saw it with his own eyes that Max could be so sweet and caring towards him. His lips twisted into a smile. She had even let him kiss her without smacking him this time.

He was about to change the channel again when something familiar caught his attention.

"_We now bring you to the Berrisford Mansion for some wonderful news…"_

The bottle of beer fell from his hands, the amber liquid spilling onto the floor, but Alec did not even notice. His eyes were glued to the television screen, watching as the camera zoomed in onto the familiar-looking building. His heart rate increased as he heard what the reporter said next.

"_After a long illness, the daughter of ex-CEO Robert Berrisford has finally awaken from her coma…"_

Alec swallowed painfully as Rachel's face filled the screen. She was smiling at the camera, looking pale and sallow, but very much alive.

_She's alive... She's alive…she's alive…_the words chanted repeatedly in his mind.

Suddenly finding the strength to move, Alec jumped up from his couch and rushed towards the door.

* * *

Max's jaw went slack as she digested what the reporter was saying.

_The girl is alive,_ Max thought.

She immediately thought of Alec. Knowing his obsession with television, he probably would have seen it the minute the broadcast came on air. And knowing him, he would be right on his way there now.

She did not want to think of what might happen when Alec met Rachel again. The thought made Max feel uneasy. Would he still feel the same towards Rachel? Max tried to clamp down on her rising jealousy, but it was futile. She hated that feeling.

But at least her jealousy made one thing clear to her.

It meant that she was definitely interested in Alec in_ that _way.

Now that she had thought about it, somehow that did not surprise her at all. If she was being honest with herself, she had been just too scared to admit it to herself at first. She wondered if it was too late to tell him how she felt now. It probably was. Now that he had found out that she was alive, Alec would be too preoccupied with Rachel to bother with her, she thought resentfully.

Alec would not be happy if she showed up. He would not want her there for their reunion.

Sighing, Max debated for a moment, and then decided that she would go anyway.

Just in case anything did go wrong.

* * *

_It's time,_ Dan thought as his eyes followed his target, who was unaware that he was being watched.

Stealthily, he snuck out from his hiding spot and moved to close the distance between them, hoping that he would reach the other transgenic before he was spotted.

He was almost there when his subject suddenly snapped around and scowled at him.

"What do you think you're doing?" Then, as recognition dawned, the other transgenic exclaimed with surprise, "204?" Then he grinned, "Hey, you made it out!"

Dan smirked humourlessly. "Yeah, no thank to you," he said bitterly.

There was a pause before a guilt-tinged reply came forth. "Hey, buddy, I couldn't have gone back to get you. It was tactically unwise, and you know that."

Dan was not impressed. "Then I guess I shouldn't feel bad about what I'm about to do now," he said dismissively, and suddenly lunged forward.

"Shit!" the other transgenic exclaimed as Dan's fist connected with his jaw. Staggering back, he rubbed at the painful spot. "What the hell is going on, 204? That was uncalled for!" he shouted in bewilderment.

Dan smirked. "Too bad," he drawled and proceeded to attack.

The two transgenics were locked in battle, each furiously trying to take the other down when a voice suddenly interrupted them.

"Hey! HEY! Stop that NOW!"

One of them turned around, eyes widening as he realised who it was. "Max?"

* * *

**t.b.c.** (Hehe! Good spot for a cliffie!)

A/N: I know some of you are probably scratching your head in confusion. I don't blame you, but I promise…it will all become clear very soon.:winks! Please review and tell me what you think this time!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I wish I own Dark Angel, but unfortunately I don't. Otherwise it would never ever be cancelled! Dark Angel and its characters do not belong to me. No infringement intended.

A/N: More questions will be answered in this chapter, you'll be glad to know! And again, thank you,** Shallowness** for fixing the grammar and all the inconsistencies that I was too blind to see, LOL!

**Calistra** – Thanks for reviewing! You'll might be a bit surprised at this chapter! But yes, you got it right; Moss isn't the real baddie.

**Kungfuchick** – Haha! Remember that Moss is fresh out of Manticore, so he's expected to be a bit strange! Thanks for reviewing!

**Lotamoxie** – Poor OC! At least her doubts were all cleared up now! You've got so many questions, but good news is – you'll find out all the answers in this chapter (grins). Thanks for reviewing!

**Mel11 **– Thanks for reviewing! Gee, I need time to write! Please have some pity for my poor fingers, lol! Yep, Alec will get to talk to Rachel soon, you'll be glad to hear.

**Doza** – Thanks for reviewing! For DA fics, I find Angelofdarkness78's and Fayth3's fics very interesting, so you might want to give those a go. As for older fics, I would go for X5898's fics. As for your fics, I'm afraid that it's difficult for me because I have not seen x-men or btvs, hence unable to follow!

**Bitto** – Thanks for reviewing! Hehe! Yep, you're right about Moss. About your story, don't worry about people going crazy. It's expected in the fanfic world, lol! Personally, I would post one chapter after another, instead of putting up a very long story at one go!

**Darkangelgirl **– You're not the only one unsure of the person's identity, so don't worry! You'll find out soon enough who it is! Also on a completely different topic, thanks for reviewing Play-Along. It's fluffy, but I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for reviewing!

**X5898** – Thanks for reviewing! Yup, you got it right (grins)! The whole Rachel thing was just to bait Alec and Max. You know what Max's like, she tends to get distracted. As for her jealousy, I think without it, she would still be clueless as to what her real feelings were. I'm interested to know if your theory fits in after this chapter (winks).

**Latina-potter-fan** – What you said was pretty flattering to me, I think! Thanks! I'm glad that you are interested enough to want more at the end of the chapters. But don't worry, you won't be feeling that way soon as it's coming to a conclusion (grins). Thanks for reviewing!

**Eva** – LOL! So sorry that it got you so confused. The thing is, there's bits of clues hidden everywhere in the story to give you an idea. But I promise that it would be all clear soon! Thanks for reviewing!

**Alana84 **– Thanks for your review. Glad you liked the pheromones explanation, at least now we know Max doesn't really like him THAT way! You'll find the answers to your questions in this chapter!

**Sea Fire** – Thanks for reviewing! Glad you liked the suspense, but all will soon be clear!

**Angelofdarkness78** – Yep, Dan transfused Rachel. And the poor guy definitely needs some TLC, as you'll see as you read on. Can't say who is he working for though (grins). Moss has his own bit in the plot, so watch out for it! Thanks for reviewing!

**Sarah** – I'm most definitely not mean, LOL! Just trying to keep you on your toes! Joshua must have sensed something between Max and Alec to pop that question, much to their embarrassment! Thanks for reviewing!

**Chance32** – (smiles sheepishly) Sorry for stopping there, but I have to stop somewhere. Good news is, it's not much longer before the whole thing concludes. Thanks for your review!

**Kim** – Thanks for your review! (Grins) Moss being in constant heat – no wonder Max's affected! As for Dan, you might be surprised when you read this chapter (winks).

**Purple shimmer** – Thanks for reviewing! And yes…I'm updating as soon as I can, lol!

**Lakergirl08** – Thanks for reviewing! Hehe! Sorry for the confusion, but I did leave clues here and there, (grins). But of course it'll all get a bit clearer after this chappie!

* * *

**Chapter 7**

(by elle6778)

The two transgenics were locked in battle, each furiously trying to take the other down when a voice suddenly interrupted them.

"Hey! HEY! Stop that NOW!"

One of them turned around, eyes widening as he realised who it was. "Max?"

Max had been on her bike on her way to the Berrisford Mansion. She had only gone a block from her apartment when she had been distracted by the sound of fighting. Curious, she had turned to see Moss fighting with someone. When she had seen the way they fought, she had realised that he was fighting with another transgenic.

"What's going on here, Moss?" she snapped irritably. She got off her bike, eyes never leaving the two males in front of her.

"I was…" Moss started to answer but was cut short. That moment of distraction cost Moss dearly as a knee found its way to his midsection. Groaning, he fell to the ground, clutching his stomach.

Max reacted without thinking. Blurring towards Dan, she sprung into a kick aimed at his chest.

Not expecting that sudden attack from Max, Dan fell over at the impact. Swearing, he pushed himself up and stood facing Max and Moss, who by now had managed to pick himself up.

"This is none of your business," Dan spat at Max, annoyed that everything had gone so wrong in such a short time. He had been so close to capturing Moss.

Max raised her eyebrow. "Yeah? Well, I'm making it mine. Hope you're not too upset about it."

Dan growled and blurred towards Max. Before he could reach her, Moss intercepted with an elbow jab, which Dan blocked just before it connected with his head. Moss grabbed the arm which Dan used to block, holding it down.

Max rushed forwards and grabbed his other arm, effectively subduing him.

Moss pinned him with a glare. "Why the hell were you trying to beat me up? I told you I had no choice. If I had thought that there was a chance of success in getting you out of there, I would have gone for it."

Dan sneered as he struggled against Moss's hold. "You're always so full of yourself, 466. Did it ever occur to you that I'm doing this because I'm being forced to?"

"Then tell me why you're being forced to do this," Moss said, a confused look on his face.

"Yeah, but only if you don't mind telling us," Max asked sarcastically, glaring at Dan.

"Like I said before, none of your business," Dan's face was set stubbornly.

Mimicking him, Max retorted, "And like I said before, I'm making it mine. So, tough."

"If I were you I'd start to worry about your other friend," Dan said.

Max's eyes narrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?" _Could he be talking about Alec?_

Dan smirked, "What else could I mean? The Berrisfords. Ring a bell?"

Moss raised his brows in surprise. What did 204 mean by that, he thought, but only asked, "Alec's at the Berrisford's?"

Max ignored Moss and kept her attention on Dan. "How do I know you're not lying? And how do you know about it?" she asked sceptically, but inside, her heart was hammering. The broadcast was beginning to sound like a set up.

"I needed to get him away from 466 here. Berrisford was more than happy to help," Dan tossed back.

"Huh?" Moss frowned.

Max paled as Dan's words sank in. "You bastard! What did you do to Alec?"

"I don't have anything against the guy. But I couldn't say the same for Berrisford," he said.

Her hands snapped out and tightened against his throat. She snarled into his face, "Listen, buster, you'd better hope that Alec is still in one piece, because if he isn't, I'll make you really sorry."

Gasping for air, Dan croaked, "You think I want to do this?"

Ignoring Dan's desperate gulps for air when she let go of his neck, Max turned to Moss and said, "You think you can handle him yourself?"

Moss looked affronted at the slight on his ability. "What do you mean? Of course I can."

Max rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you were doing so well a minute ago."

"Hey, you distracted me," he said in his defence.

"Whatever. No time for this now. I'm going to find Alec," she announced. Gesturing in the direction of her apartment, which was a block away, she continued, "Bring him to my place and keep him there till I get back."

"Fine, no problem," Moss said.

Suddenly Dan found himself deprived of air once again as Moss wrapped an implacable arm around his neck.

* * *

Alec crept silently towards the house, careful not to trigger the alarms that he knew were scattered around the grounds. When he reached the front door, he paused, uncertain if he was doing the right thing.

He needed to tell Rachel the truth. She needed to know that he had not done it on purpose. The last thing he had wanted to do was to kill her. He just did not know if she would understand.

Max suddenly appeared in his thoughts. Rachel had been his first love, but Max was different. Max could understand him the way no one else would and had been gradually accepting him for what he was. He knew that he needed closure with Rachel before anything could progress with Max. It would not be fair to either of them if he did not do this.

He pushed the door open.

Almost instantly, two armed guards came at him. Alec's training kicked in as he disposed of them almost automatically. He encountered another guard when he ran up the stairs, but it did not deter him. The guard had barely raised his tazer when Alec sent him stumbling down the stairs.

When he reached the first floor, two more came at him. Feeling irritated at the endless number of obstacles standing in his way, he released a punch that connected hard, sending the first guard sprawling.

As he turned to face the remaining one, a jolt suddenly ran through him.

Staggering, he felt another jolt as yet another guard jammed a tazer into his side.

He could not stay on his feet. Collapsing to the ground, he lay convulsing as his eyes tried to focus on a man who just stepped into his view.

Robert Berrisford.

* * *

When the guards pulled him up to secure him to a chair, Alec detected the presence of another person who had just entered the room. He stopped struggling as his eyes widened in recognition.

"Rachel…" he started, but the words became lodged in his throat. The sight of her, alive in front of him after the emotional torment he had gone through when he had recalled his mission, threw his feelings into a jumble of shock and relief.

Rachel stood unmoving as she stared silently at him, but her emotions were unmasked. Alec could see a mix of feelings cross her face; anger, loathing and the worst of all, hurt. He felt his heart squeeze painfully, knowing that he was the one who had hurt her.

"Rachel…" he tried again, his voice cracking as he said, "I'm sorry."

She continued her silence, but Alec could see a small flicker in her eyes. It gave him hope.

"You scum!" Berrisford ranted, his eyes hard as he stared at Alec. "You're sorry? You think that's enough? She almost _died_ to save my life! You think _sorry_ covers it?"

Ignoring Berrisford, Alec continued to stare at Rachel, a tortured expression on his face. "I didn't mean for you to get hurt, Rachel. I should have fought them harder. I tried to stop it, but they pressed the trigger before I could get to you."

"Enough!" Berrisford roared as he crossed the room, headed straight at Alec.

A soft voice stopped him. "Dad, wait."

Berrisford turned to his daughter.

"I…I want to talk to him," she said haltingly, not meeting her father's eyes. She knew that he was worried, especially after she had insisted that she hated Simon and that she did not want to see him.

"No!" her father objected loudly.

"Please, Dad. I need to talk to him alone. Then you can do…do whatever you want."

Berrisford hesitated for a moment, and then noticing the stubborn look on her face, he nodded. "I'll be just outside the door," he said, throwing Alec a warning glance.

As the door clicked shut, Rachel took a step towards him. "I thought I hated you…" she said haltingly, "Don't know why, but I don't think I really meant it. Just feel cheated…betrayed…and stupid. Simon, why?" she asked.

Alec swallowed painfully. He could hear the recrimination in her voice. "I'm not who you think I am, Rachel," he confessed, feeling bad.

"I know. Dad said that you work for some place called Manticore, and they wanted to kill him. But why didn't you just leave if you didn't want to do it?" She sounded confused.

He shook his head, unsure how much she knew but sure that the entire concept of genetically engineered soldiers was going to be hard for her to accept. "You won't understand. It's not easy to explain. I'm not normal. They trained us as soldiers from the time we could walk and they made sure we don't forget who we must obey. I couldn't just pack up and walk out."

"But Simon…"

"Simon's not my name," he said tightly, feeling even worse now.

"Huh?" A frown marred her features.

"We don't have names. We have designations, a number allocated to each of us," Alec told her, watching the surprise that came over her. "I go by Alec now."

"Alec," she stated numbly, as she seemed to digest that he had told her yet another lie.

"I couldn't change what happened, but believe it or not, I _am_ sorry," he said softly.

Rachel deliberated for a moment, and then sighed. "You know, Sim-…Alec. Forget it. It doesn't matter anymore. You're not the person I thought I knew, and I don't think I want to know anymore."

"I don't blame you," he stated flatly, and then went on after a short pause, "Or your father for being so pissed off at me."

She walked close and knelt in front of him, her eyes worried now. "Listen, Alec. Dad's really mad and I think he's planning to do something really bad to you. I wasn't bothered before, but…" she hesitated. "Anyway, never mind about that. Let's get you out of here, okay?"

"Rachel…" Alec started to say as she searched for the key to the handcuffs.

"Where is it?" she muttered, frustrated.

The door suddenly opened, and Berrisford walked in. Obviously, he had overheard the conversation. "That's enough. Rachel, please leave the room," he instructed grimly.

"But, Dad…"

"Now, Rachel," his voice was hard.

Casting an apologetic glance back to Alec, she stood up, swaying unsteadily and then walked out slowly.

Alec's eyes followed her, his feeling of remorse weighing him down as he noted that she was obviously not fully recovered yet. _But at least she was alive,_ a small voice in him said.

* * *

Max managed to make her way across the front garden without tripping any alarms, but she kept her eyes open for any signs of the guards. The front door was slightly ajar when she reached it, setting off a feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. She hoped that Alec was still alright.

Preparing herself to fight, she held her breath, gave the door a nudge, and waited.

Nothing happened.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed it fully open and stepped in. She walked through the house quietly, her eyes scanning her surroundings as she passed the unconscious men on the way. At least it confirmed that Alec was around, she thought as she made her way up a staircase.

When she reached the top, two guards suddenly appeared. _Shit, _she thought, then charged at them, immediately taking one of them down with a backfist to his head and a knee in his midsection.

The other guard hesitated for a moment before he pointed the tazer at Max. Seeing what he intended to do, Max wasted no time in kicking his hand, sending the tazer flying out of reach. Grabbing him in a headlock, she cut off his air supply enough to render him unconscious, but not dead.

Hearing a noise behind her, Max swore and swivelled around. The hand that she had held up with full intention to punch her next attacker suddenly faltered as she noticed who it was. Her jealousy, which she had successfully managed to push aside earlier, suddenly came back in force.

"Who are you?" Rachel asked suspiciously, backing away from Max.

Ignoring her question, Max snapped, "Where's Alec?"

Rachel flinched but her voice was hopeful when she asked, "You're a friend of his?"

Max nodded curtly. "Tell me where he is," she demanded impatiently.

Rachel pointed at a door. "Please don't hurt my father. He's just angry about everything," she pleaded.

"I'll try not to," Max said, rushing towards the door.

* * *

Berrisford stood facing Alec, his face suffused with anger. "You'll pay for what you took from us."

Alec just stared at Berrisford wordlessly as his mind frantically tried to think of a way out of his predicament. He was not in a hurry to die just yet. Especially now that he had found out that Rachel was alright and that she did not seem to hate him that much. She had not said anything about forgiving him, but he had seen it in her eyes. The fact that she tried to rescue him had confirmed it.

His eyes followed Berrisford as he went to a drawer and extracted a gun from it. Alec swallowed hard as his heart sped faster. _Okay, Max, this is a good time to make an appearance_, he thought desperately. From past experiences, he knew that if she had seen the broadcast, she would not be able to stop herself from tracking him down. Smiling inwardly, he wondered what was the probability that she had actually seen the broadcast. At times like these, he missed having Brain around.

Berrisford returned to Alec, raising his gun.

_Uh-oh, this is not good,_ Alec thought as he stared into the barrel of the gun.

* * *

**t.b.c.**

A/N: Not long more to go now until everything become crystal clear, that's what I hope, at least (grins)! Anyway, please leave me some reviews. I love to read them!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I wish I own Dark Angel, but unfortunately I don't. Otherwise it would never ever be cancelled! Dark Angel and its characters do not belong to me. No infringement intended.

A/N: Hopefully, this is the end of the confusion, lol! And again, thank you,** Shallowness** for fixing the grammar and all the inconsistencies that I was too blind to see! And oh, by the way, I've just started another story, 'Rules Can Be Broken'. Not MA this time, but MZ, so if you are interested...

**Calistra** – Dan's working for someone under duress and you'll see soon why Moss is so important. Thanks for reviewing!

**Mel11 **– Thank you for your review and for allowing my fingers some rest, lol! Do you have doubts that Max would get to Alec? (winks)

**Doza **– Wow! That was a long review, lol! Thanks! And NO, I haven't seen either, much to my shame. Not even sure if they have it on regular TV (which I switch on about once in a week only), and I don't have cable. Haha, you should get paid for your wonderful promotion of the two shows! As for doing something you all won't expect, read this chapter and let me know if I managed it.

**Kungfuchick** – Thanks for reviewing! Let me know what you think of this one okay?

**Roxyroo **– You're registered finally! Yep, Dan was after Moss, hehe! You'll see soon who he's working for. Thanks for reviewing!

**Pookie vampires** – Where have you been? Gee, I thought you must have given up on my stories, lol! Missed your reviews, by the way. And I love your review (blushes) and yeah, Alec and Max should get busy real soon. But (sighs) dreams are a wonderful thing.

**Kim **– Thanks for your review. Hehe! I'm glad that it managed to be surprising. Purposely set it up that it seemed like Alec, but not quite. I know what you mean about Alec giving up – I didn't want him to do that here. I mean, it's not really his fault, so why should he want to die?

**Lakergirl08 **– Hehe! Well, the good news is, you'll find out everything (I hope) soon! So read on and let me think if everything finally made sense. Thanks for reviewing!

**X5898 **– I'm not particularly surprised that you got it, lol! After all, you almost always managed to guess what's about to happen (grins). But you haven't guessed everything yet (thanks goodness!). When you read this chapter, you'll see why only ONE of them is being hunted. No. Alec would probably sink into depression if Rachel hated him, and he needed closure to get on with Max. Anyway, thanks for your review and read on!

**Eva **– Thanks for reviewing. Glad you found it exciting (I try!). Let me know what you think of this one, okay?

**Alana84 **– Hehe! Your questions will be answered soon. I'm glad you found it exciting – means that my hard work didn't go to waste! Thanks for reviewing!

**Kay **– I'm back! LOL! Don't worry…I won't leave you hanging at the end of this chapter! Thanks for your review!

**Darkangelgirl** – Of course! Max sweeps in and saves the day, hehe! You'll get your answers in this chapter. Hopefully it'll satisfy your curiosity (grins). Thanks for reviewing!

**Sea Fire** – Me? Cruel? Of course not (grins)! Thanks for your compliments (blushes). I hope this chapter will meet with your approval. Thanks for reviewing!

**Lotamoxie **– Glad you have such confidence in Max, lol! Of course she will come in time. I won't want you to hunt me down, hehe! I grinned when I read your review. You'll soon see why! Thanks for reviewing!

**Angelofdarkness78 **– Thanks for your review. Yep…It's concluding now, that's why it's falling into place. And on a completely different note, how's school? Must be quite busy seeing that I haven't seen an update from you for awhile (Hint! Hint!)

* * *

**Chapter 8**

(by elle6778)

Berrisford returned to Alec, raising his gun.

_Uh-oh, this is not good,_ Alec thought as he stared into the barrel of the gun.

His eyes shifted from the barrel to Berrisford, suddenly noting the hesitant look on the older man's face. The pressure in Alec's chest eased a little as he digested that little fact.

Alec could not help himself from doing a little test. "Look, if you want to do it, then do it. All this waiting is driving me nuts," he taunted, hoping that his suspicions were correct; that Berrisford was not a killer. He did not even want to think of the alternative.

Berrisford still hesitated, and this time, Alec's sharp eyes noticed a slight lowering of the gun.

"Do it!" Alec prodded.

The door slammed open, the sound distracting Berrisford from Alec.

Alec's eyes lit up as he saw Max.

Her quick glance at Alec told her that he was okay. Then she blurred towards Berrisford, snatched the gun from his hands, and threw it into the opposite corner of the room before he could even blink. Mindful of what Rachel had asked of her, but not quite understanding why she bothered to listen, she stepped away from him.

"Took you long enough," Alec muttered at her, but he was relieved that she had turned up.

"Well, yeah. Had more important things to do," she said flippantly and then turned to Berrisford, "Release him," she demanded of the stunned older man as she gestured to Alec.

Finally finding his voice, Berrisford shouted, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Max rolled her eyes. "I thought it was pretty obvious. Now un-cuff him before I decide to break my word to your daughter."

"You spoke to Rachel?" Alec asked, surprised. He wondered what Max felt about the fact that Rachel was still alive. When he had confided in her about his feelings, he had thought that Rachel was dead. At that time, he had thought that she had looked a bit uncomfortable, maybe even jealous, when he had spoken of his feelings. Now, he just hoped that she would not come to the wrong conclusion about this whole thing.

Berrisford paled visibly. "What did you do to her?"

"Nothing. But that might change soon if you don't quit stalling," Max warned, impatient now.

Wordlessly, Berrisford made his way to Alec and unlocked the cuffs. Alec jumped up, rubbing his wrist as he studied the older man.

"Listen, I'm sorry for what happened," Alec said.

Berrisford did not say anything. The fight seemed to have gone away from him as he slumped to the chair, looking weary.

"Come on, let's go," Max said, grabbing Alec's arm.

When they stepped out, Alec halted in his tracks as he spotted Rachel sitting by the door. He flicked a quick glance to Max to see that she had averted her gaze from them.

"I'll be just around the corner," Max said, not bothering to look back as she went. She did not think she could stand seeing them together.

Alec stood uncomfortably as he looked between Max's retreating back and Rachel.

Looking up at him, Rachel said, "You'd better leave."

Running a hand through his hair uncomfortably, Alec said, "I'm sorry…"

Rachel interrupted him. "It's alright. Go, and I think you'd better not come back," she said with a sad tone of finality.

"That's probably a good idea," Alec said with a small smile. "Bye, Rachel."

"Goodbye," she returned, and got up to go into the room.

* * *

As she had told him, Max was waiting for him just around the corner. 

"Can we go now?" she asked irritably when he appeared.

Taken aback by her hostile manner, he asked, "Hey, what's wrong?" He could guess what was bothering her, but he had to ask.

"Nothing. We need to get to Moss," she said tightly, hurrying down the stairs without looking at him.

_Moss? I almost died back there and the only thing she can think off is Moss?_ Alec seethed inwardly. So it was not Rachel that put her in that mood, it was her wanting to go to Moss. Outwardly, he just said coldly, "Right."

Max did not answer as she made her way out of the front door, Alec not far behind. They made their way across the grounds and leapt over the fence.

They were both silent as Max guided her bike back to her apartment.

* * *

Moss jumped up into a fight stance as the door to the apartment opened. Then he relaxed when he saw Max and Alec. 

"Well, looks like you survived," Moss said.

Alec, who was still annoyed about the issue of Max and Moss, smirked coldly and said, "What can I say? I always land on my feet."

Moss snorted. "You're lucky because you've got Max watching your back," he mocked.

"Don't you two start," Max warned them. Then her eyes landed on Dan who was tied up to the radiator, his head tilted forwards. "Still out, I see," she said, raising a questioning brow at Moss while she pointedly ignored Alec.

Moss said a little sheepishly, "Maybe I hit him a bit too hard when he came to just now."

"What's he doing here? Who is he?" Alec asked, confused as he noticed Dan. Then he saw the barcode. "204?"

"Yeah, he was trying to take me down earlier, then Max came to the rescue," Moss explained as he flashed her a smile.

"I see you had a busy night, first Moss, then me," Alec said with a hint of annoyance. Max probably had a good reason for saving Moss first, he tried to reassure himself.

Max ignored their words, instead she asked, "So, did he say anything when he woke up just now?"

"Nah, didn't get a chance."

"I think we should find out what's he up to," Max said, grabbing a bowl and filling it with water. Alec sat back on the couch, making himself comfortable for the pending show.

A splash later, Dan woke up spluttering.

"Welcome back, 204," Moss greeted with a sneer.

Dan just glared back up from his undignified position on the floor.

"Okay, spill. What are you up to?" Max asked, her hands on her hips as she looked down at him expectantly.

Dan remained mute for a moment before he finally released a weary breath. "What do you want to know?"

"Why are you after Moss?"

"It's not me who wants the guy," Dan replied in a disgusted tone. "I don't remember what happened. One minute I was injured in a mission, and the next thing I knew, I woke up in a warehouse all restrained." He nudged his head at Moss. "466 was there. I saw him passing by with some lab techs and guards."

Alec and Max cast Moss a questioning glance, but he looked away.

Dan continued bitterly, "For weeks, all I saw was a Manticore scientist and couple of lab techs coming in and out. I asked them what they wanted but I had no answer. Then one day, the guards came in and took me. The scientist, who I presumed was the leader, showed me a picture of him and a girl and told me to find them. They inserted a micro-explosive in my brain stem," Dan paused when Max gasped.

Alec exchanged a look with Max as he remembered having the same experience, ignoring Moss's exclamation of outrage.

"What?" Dan asked nervously, seeing the look of horror that passed between Alec and Max.

Moss interrupted, shouting, "You were going to bring me back there?"

"Shut-up Moss! He didn't get you, did he?" Alec snapped, knowing exactly how Dan felt.

"I had one not too long ago," Alec stated emotionlessly, feeling guilty as he recalled the expression Max had had when he had lowered his knife at her.

"How did you get it out?" Dan asked with a hopeful look in his eyes. "Do you know how to get mine out?"

"Well, kind of. Do you know where to find them? And how much more time do you have?" Max asked as she knelt down and pushed Dan to his side to get at his bonds.

"A couple more days. I remember…"

"What are you doing, Max?" Moss snapped as it registered on him that Max was going to let Dan go.

"Letting him go. What does it look like? It's not like he had a choice, Moss," Max said impatiently as she continued to unravel the knots.

"Fine," Moss said grudgingly as he glared at Dan.

"I guess we're going to go teach these guys a lesson, huh?" Alec said with a strange gleam of excitement in his eyes.

When Dan was released, he stood up, eyeing the rest of the transgenics warily. "Why are you doing this?" he asked.

"Why, you want those people running loose so that they can get hold of more of us?" Moss asked incredulously.

"What did they do to you anyway?" Max asked curiously.

"Nothing," Moss answered shortly, obviously unwilling to say more.

Max did not press him, but turned to Dan. "Let's go. You lead the way," she said instead.

* * *

The four of them hid behind a large broken down truck as they peered at a dark warehouse hidden deep in the forest. Max had secured her bike, and Alec his stolen one, some distance away to ensure that their approach remained undetected. 

Alec held up his hands and made a series of signs, instructing them to split up in pairs. He hesitated for a moment before he indicated that Max should go with Dan, hoping that he was not making a mistake. He could hardly send Moss with Dan considering what had just happened earlier that night. And he definitely had no intention of sending Max off with Moss.

Silently, Alec moved out of the shadows, keeping low with Moss tailing him. They made their way to the side door.

A second later, the door opened and two guards came out. They barely had time to notice Moss and Alec's presence before they were knocked unconscious. Picking up both guards' weapons, Alec straightened and tossed one to Moss, keeping the other one for himself.

Both transgenics entered the warehouse, their alertness at a constant high as they scanned their surroundings. It was dimly lit, and there was a sterile smell in the air. They walked further into the building until they came to a lab. Recognising the room, Moss's lips compressed in a tight line. Alec signalled to him to move in.

Moss barged into the room and instantly noted a figure in a white lab coat. Surprised, the man turned around, dropping his clipboard.

"Dr Selden, I bet you didn't expect to see me walking back in here, huh?" Moss said mockingly, but there was a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"What the…" Selden exclaimed in bewilderment as he took in the presence of the two transgenics.

But before he could finish his sentence, Alec shot forward and grabbed him, effectively immobilising him.

Moss spat at him. "I guess you haven't got enough from me. You even risk losing a transgenic to hunt me down. Because that's what it was, wasn't it? A hunt. We're like animals to you, just lab rats."

"If it wasn't for me, you would be dead already, cauterised beyond recognition!" Selden yelled as he struggled ineffectively.

"And I suppose it was my fault that you were _testing_ me when the whole place blew up? And where is 467?" Moss demanded, hoping that she was alright after he had left her in the forest.

Feigning ignorance, the man repeated, "467?"

Moss rushed forward and punched him in the face. Selden's head snapped back as he howled in pain. Pressing his face close, Moss snarled, "467. My sister. She ran off with me but didn't manage to get out. What did you do to her?"

Alec released his hold and stood back, his gun pointed to Selden. He had decided to stay out of it. Moss obviously had some issues with the guy. Better to let Moss sort it out.

"Fine! You'd love to hear this. She'd dead," Selden replied with a snarl, wiping the blood off his lips.

Moss stilled as he digested the words, not wanting to believe it. "You're lying!" he shouted as he started to tremble from his fury. He punched Selden again, this time in the stomach. _She can't be dead,_ he thought, anguished.

Doubling over, Selden gasped, "By the time the guards got to her in the woods, she was almost gone. They were too scared to bring her back, so I didn't know until a few days had passed. I had even asked someone to look for her."

"I think he's telling the truth, Moss," Alec said softly, feeling sorry for Moss. He remembered who 467 was. She was Moss's twin sister, and his CO. He then addressed Selden. "So, what are you doing keeping the transgenics here, huh?"

Selden remained silent, but the transgenics could see the fear in his eyes. He darted a quick look at Moss.

Moss strode angrily across the room to a shelve full of small bottles, his face twisted in disgust as he surveyed the labels. _Pheromones,_ he read. _MY_ _pheromones! And 467's pheromones!_ A vicious smile graced his lips as he brought the gun back and swung it forwards.

"NO!" Selden yelled in protest and was about to lunge forwards but Alec yanked him back, sticking the gun at the small of his back.

Moss ignored them as he continued to smash all the bottles in the shelves with Alec watching him in bafflement, wondering if Moss had suddenly cracked.

"What's all that?" Alec asked when Moss finally finished trashing the shelves.

"My pheromones," Moss replied bitterly. He turned to Selden and said with a sneer, "Sorry to ruin your money-making schemes, but I really don't feel like sharing a part of me with others. Call me selfish."

Alec grimaced as he now understood why Moss was so angry, having his pheromones extracted and sold while he was kept in captivity.

Selden was trembling with rage as he surveyed the destructed remains of his work.

A moment later, Max and Dan showed up.

"Got two guards and one lab tech down, and another ran off. But we're sure that she won't come back," Max said with a satisfied grin. She turned to Selden with disgust. "I see that you've learnt well from Renfro, kidnapping transgenics and all. She would be so proud of you," Max mocked.

Selden's eyes narrowed as he looked past Max and saw Dan. "You! You won't get away with this!"

Dan raised his brows. "Brave words, considering that you're the only one with a gun pointed at you."

Selden blustered, "You don't have much time anyway. I made sure of that."

"I guess you're talking about this," Alec said lightly, pointing at Dan's neck. "One of your other friends helped put one of these babies in me. And I'm still feeling very hurt about it. Now if you don't remove it from this guy here, I will not hesitate to put into practice what Manticore taught us. Since you used to work for them, I'm sure you know that we are capable of finding many creative ways to torture you before we let you out of your misery," Alec said threateningly.

Max did not know if he was actually serious about it, but she held her tongue, trusting that he knew what he was doing. She had known for a long time now that he was not the screw up that she had thought he was, but she had to admit that she was impressed at the way he had handled this entire situation so far.

Selden paled visibly, clearly terrified now as his eyes darted left and right.

Moss noticed Selden's desperate attempts to find help. "Don't bother, the other two guards are gone as well. I guess that means you're not as popular as you thought huh?"

"Now, remove the explosive," Alec ordered, prodding Selden with the gun.

Seemingly resigned to his fate, Selden nodded wearily as he gestured for Dan to sit in a chair.

"Try anything funny and we'll blow your head off," Alec warned.

The scientist went for a small tool on the table and brought it to Dan's neck. For something that practically ruled a man's life, it only took him a minute to remove the implanted explosive.

As he watched, Alec's mind when back to that day when he had his removed. The implant had exploded just a second after it had been extracted. If they had delayed only by a second, he would have been dead. He had a close call, but he was saved, thanks to Max.

Dan exhaled a sigh of relief when Selden pronounced him done.

"Now we have no need for him anymore, right?" Moss said quietly.

Max looked at Moss to see him smiling in such a predatorial manner that she had to suppress a shiver up her spine.

Selden's eyes widened, as he stuttered, "But you said…"

Suddenly realising what Moss intended to do, Alec interrupted quickly, "We should go now."

Moss's eyes narrowed as he growled, "You can all go. But he's mine now."

"Come on, Moss. He's not worth it," Max said, tugging at him arm.

Yanking his arm away from her, Moss snarled, looking at the frightened-looking Selden, "He imprisoned us here. He tied us down and extracted our pheromones for his own gain. And it's his fault 467 died. That's more than enough reason for me to waste him."

Before anyone could stop him, Moss raised the gun in his hand and released a shot right through Selden's forehead.

* * *

It was almost dawn when they exited the warehouse and walked towards their bikes. Alec rode behind Max as they sped towards his apartment. Moss and Dan, after their initial hostility, had finally decided to leave Seattle together on Alec's stolen bike. 

When the bike rumbled to a stop in front of his apartment, Alec made no move to get off.

Wondering what he was waiting for, Max peered over her shoulder at him. "Hey, are you waiting for a written invitation or what?" she asked. Her tone was chilly, as Rachel was still fresh in her mind.

Alec got off slowly and came around to face her. "You want to come up? For a drink?" he asked casually.

Max hesitated for a moment before replying, "Alright."

They made their way up the stairs and entered Alec's apartment. Max immediately went to the couch and sat down with a sigh. Alec went to the cupboard and brought out a bottle of scotch with two glasses.

"Here. I think we need this after the night we had," he said, handing her a glassful of scotch.

Max took a sip and leaned back on the couch. "Yeah," she said simply, then fell silent.

"You okay?" he asked, concerned at her uncharacteristic silence.

Max decided that she could not continue to remain wordless for what was left of the night. "Just thinking about what happened tonight. Rachel, Moss and that Dan. I wonder what make people do what Selden did," she said, turning to Alec. "I'm still not sure what happened with Moss in there."

Alec sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he explained, "Moss didn't want to talk when I asked him. Don't blame him really. But from what I gathered, Selden took 204, Moss and his twin sister when Renfro decided to cauterise the facility back when Logan exposed Manticore. They must have been unconscious or something at that time, otherwise there's no way Selden could have handled three transgenics with just a handful of guards and lab techs. Selden brought them to that warehouse and held them there while the lab techs worked on them, extracting pheromones. Not from Dan, of course. Just Moss and his sister. Moss found shelves full of his and his sister's pheromones that were apparently meant to be sold for profit. He smashed them all. Somehow, Moss and his twin escaped, but she didn't make it."

"That's when Selden sent Dan to collect Moss, after implanting the explosive. And Dan used Rachel to distract you, and I guess, me as well," Max added thoughtfully.

"Yeah. Dan was supposed to find Moss's twin as well, but she was already dead. Dan had never met her, he had just seen Moss when Moss passed his cell when they were in captivity. Anyway, the whole thing was a mess," Alec said, leaning against the couch with his hands behind his head. "Well, at least Moss has gone elsewhere now," he said with a small amount of satisfaction.

"He's not that bad, you know."

Alec looked at her out of the corner of his eyes, irritated. "Sure you'd say that," he said icily.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Max snapped, offended at his tone.

"His charms, the present he gave you. Come on, Max. You're not even a tiny bit tempted?" he challenged.

Max bristled. How could he say something like that to he when he was the one who went rushing to Rachel without even asking her to come along? Gritting her teeth, she said, "Maybe."

Alec could not believe his ears. Fuming inwardly, he said with a tight voice, "I'm surprised that it was Dan who went with him then."

"Well, maybe I should have. After all, you have Rachel here to keep you company," she said before she could stop herself.

A switch suddenly clicked in Alec's head. _So she was giving me a hard time because she was mad about Rachel,_ he thought. A grin began to form on his face as he turned to face her fully. "Max? Is that the sound of jealousy I'm hearing?" he asked, placing one hand behind her at the back of the couch.

Max just scowled at him.

"Oh come on, admit it," he said, poking her in the ribs.

"Stop it," she snapped irritably and then fell mute again, her face averted from him.

He stopped grinning and took on a serious look. Grabbing her chin, he turned her to face him, their faces just inches apart. "Listen, Rachel and I had some unresolved issues, but that's all done now. And Max? I meant what I said to you that evening at the Space Needle," he said softly, staring into her eyes.

She blinked at the seriousness of his tone. "Who are you and what have you done to that smart-ass?"

Alec grinned. "You need to seek help with your obsession with my ass."

Max snorted. "I don't obsess," she declared haughtily.

Raising an eyebrow, Alec said, "Yup. Still in denial. In denial about your obsession, in denial about your background," he paused for effect, and then continued in a soft voice, "And in denial about your feelings for me."

Max smacked him hard on his chest with the back of her hand. Seizing the opportunity, Alec grabbed that hand tightly.

"Let go," she said half-heartedly.

Alec smirked. They both knew that if she really wanted to, she could have easily yanked it back, but she did not. "Admit it," he said.

The silence was deafening while Max just stared at him. It was more than clear to her how she felt about Alec, so what was the problem? An image of Rachel flashed across her mind and she instantly brushed it away. Alec had already told her that it was over.

And she trusted him.

"Fine, I admit it alright!" she said in a tone more suited for a war-cry than a declaration of love.

Alec's lips curved in a triumphant smile. "Finally! Thank you!"

Max scowled again.

Ignoring the expression on her face, he asked cheekily, "So where is it?"

"Huh?" Max gave him a confused look.

Alec released an exasperated sigh. "This…" he said, before claiming her lips with his.

Max melted as his lips caressed hers. Suddenly hungry for more, she lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck, pulling him closer. She was not even aware that she moaned his name as they continued to kiss.

Alec was the one who pulled away first. Flushed with desire he just gazed at her wordlessly, noting the heightened colour on her cheeks.

"So, can we move on to the good part now?" he asked, waggling his brows as he did so.

Max's lips twisted as she tried to suppress her laughter. _He has a one-track mind,_ she thought in amusement.

_SMACK!_

"Aw, Max! What did you do that for? You completely ruined the mood of the moment!" Alec grumbled, rubbing his stinging arm as he glared at her playfully.

Max could not help it. Her laughter rang out as she noted the look on his face.

Alec grinned. "Ah well, if that turns you on, who am I to complain?"

Max gave him an exasperated look. "Alec!"

"Yes?"

"Shut up!"

* * *

**The End**

* * *

A/N: That's IT! Yippee! I'm so happy I finished this! So, tell me…What do you think of the whole thing. I hope everything is answered now. Please give me one last review on this story. I love to read your comments. You guys have been great in supporting the story! I really appreciate it, thank you! 


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